


After the Dust Settles

by DarthBaker23



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Last of The Jedi Series - Jude Watson
Genre: Dry Humping, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Sex (Star Wars), Grinding, Happy Ending, Kylo Ren Redemption, Oral Sex, POV Female Character, Pregnancy, Pregnant Sex, Sex, Strong Female Characters, Unplanned Pregnancy, Virgin Ben Solo, Virgin Kylo Ren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2020-10-12 12:44:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 27,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20564546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthBaker23/pseuds/DarthBaker23
Summary: The Resistance rebuilds 8 months after the Battle of Crait, while Rey trains harder than ever to become a Jedi. After the Finalizer, Rey is left feeling lost and disappointed. One accidental Force Bond with Kylo Ren, results in a little surprise that neither of them were expecting. Rey must determine how to proceed and whether Kylo fits into her new plans.





	1. Chapter 1

* * *

After the Dust Settles

by: DarthBaker23

Chapter 1

Eight months had passed since the Battle on Crait. What was left of the resistance escaped to hide on a small desert planet on the outer rim. With few inhabitants, it was easy to hide on the dusty planet. There were great flat dusty plains accompanied by many rock canyons and crevasses. They built their temporary base and housing into the side of the canyons facing the large flat desert. It was easy to take cover among the rocks, but finding resources was more challenging. Nevertheless, they persisted.

Carefully, the resistance began recruiting and looking for new supporters. After the First Order’s recent actions and failures, support started pouring in. The Rebel Alliance was quickly gaining the support, manpower, and ships they so desperately needed. The resistance remained in the shadows until they were ready to strike again. Soon, their small desert planet would not hide them anymore, and they would have to relocate somewhere new.

After the finalizer, Rey felt like a failure. She felt as if she had let herself and General Leia down. With renewed dedication, she focused her efforts on Jedi training. She had deciphered the Jedi texts, which taught her a great deal. Through meditation, training, and reading, Rey had grown tremendously with the Force. She reported directly to General Leia, who encouraged her dedication to Jedi training. Though she never told Leia the entire truth about her and Ben, she knew Leia could sense there was something off. She accompanied Leia anytime she travelled to meet supporters or potential new donors. Rey took it as her personal responsibility to protect Leia. If she couldn’t bring her son back, it was the least that Rey could do.

As Rey grew in power with the Force, people further distanced themselves from her. Though always polite, she noticed people steered clear of her. When she wasn’t training, she was hanging out with Finn, Rose, and Poe, or working on their ships. Of course her close friends always treated her the same, but she could sense their worry for her. People were afraid of Rey’s power, and they had every right to be scared, but it still stung. Rey herself was also guilty of distancing herself. She wasn’t exactly looking to make friends. Rey finally felt like she had a purpose, and she wouldn’t let herself get distracted.

Rey had been training with her staff since her lightsaber was broken on the Finalizer. One day while reading through the Jedi texts, she discovered a whole chapter dedicated to constructing a Jedi’s lightsaber. Using the Jedi texts and a lot of trial and error, Rey was able to create a new lightsaber using the parts from her broken one. However there was one issue; Rey’s lightsaber was purple. Rey had followed the sacred text instructions and meditated over the kyber crystal for two days. She was confident that the crystal had sensed her true power and taken its appropriate color. She remembers the first time she turned it on. It ignited with a powerful surge and shone brightly. She stared in amazement at its unique color. As the meaning of the color dawned on her, she switched it off and threw it on her bed. Rey was ashamed and tucked the saber away. She knew a purple saber was a sign of someone who draws strength from the light and the dark.

As time passed, Rey learned to embrace her true self. The Jedi‘s ways we’re not always perfect and dealing in absolutes was not the right way. She had come to realize that there is lightness and darkness in all things. In order for her to be her true self, she had to embrace the darkness inside her, no matter how big or small it may be. It was the only way for her to unlock her full potential. As long as she knew who she was, she could control the darkness just like she did the light.

Rey remembers the first time she turned on her new saber in sparring practice. Everyone in the room stopped and stared at her. Whispers echoed around the room. Most people knew what the purple saber meant. That had not helped Rey to gain any more allies and it even further distanced her from her comrades. Poe simply shrugged his shoulders and continued to spar with Rey. It had been a relief that Rey’s close friends trusted her enough to know her true self. Surprisingly, Leia also did not care about Rey’s purple saber. In fact, Leia sometimes brought it up in conversations when meeting with supporters. Leia showed Rey off like she was a dangerous assassin. When they asked to see her saber, they would gasp with disbelief and caution. Everyone looked at her like she was a dangerous weapon. Rey knew they were right to be wary. Traveling with Leia’s convoy made Rey feel even further excluded and alone. 

The last time Rey saw Kylo Ren was through the Force on Planet Crait as the remaining resistance escaped on the Millennium Falcon. That same night as the remaining resistance drifted in space looking for somewhere safe to hide, she felt Kylo’s presence brush against her mind. The Rebel Alliance was completely vulnerable and if he materialized, Rey feared their location would be revealed to him. That wasn’t a risk Rey was willing to take. Rey closed the bond tightly, effectively locking him out. Since that time, eight months had passed, and Rey had not once let her Force shields down. Every day, blocking him became easier to the point that she didn’t have to think about it constantly.

Rey spent all of her time focusing on mastering the ways of the Force. She was afraid that if she let her mind drift to Kylo Ren even for a second, she would fall apart. When she let her thoughts drift to him, so many emotions shook her body: anger, sadness, disappointment, loneliness. Rey had truly believed Kylo would turn to the light and leave with her. The fact that he didn’t nearly tore her in two. Her failure made her question her purpose and self-worth. She felt lost. She was suffering from heartbreak that she wasn’t quite ready to face yet. 

The fact that Rey could not tell anyone about Kylo made her suffering even worse. She constantly felt the burden of her secret. She feared what her friends would think if they knew the truth; how they would judge her for her thoughts, actions, and failures. With no one to talk to about her inner struggles, Rey’s turmoil and loneliness built internally. Pushing herself harder in her training and studies, Rey hoped her guilt and loneliness would subside. Nevertheless, her actions only served as a temporary distraction to her inner turmoil. Rey trained night and day for eight months to be the best Jedi she could, and she had succeeded. Rey had learned all that she could through the Jedi texts and her own physical training. Without the training from another Force user, her learning had come to a standstill. People were either in awe of Rey or scared of her. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Rey sat alone in her room one night. Her friends were on a mission and Rey could not bare the stares from the cafeteria. She retreated to her room to eat alone...again. After dinner and a shower, Rey sat in her bed as she, once again, read over a sacred Jedi book. She had read the text dozens of times. When the text didn’t inspire any new thoughts, Rey opened a flight mechanic book she had been studying. Rey already fixed all of the major issues with the Millennium Falcon. With her new idle time, it was her goal to restore the Falcon to its original condition. It was basically an unspoken rule on base that no one touched the Millennium Falcon unless you were Rey or Chewie. Chewie was usually too busy assisting Leia and various generals, so Rey had the Falcon mostly to herself.

Not feeling the text, Rey slams the book shut and tosses it aside. Rey pushed herself to the brink of exhaustion during training. She also ran five miles and rewired coms on several X-wings. Despite her efforts, her mind and heart still felt heavy. She sat alone with no one to talk to. Her friends were gone on assignment, and despite their friendliness, Rey could not be truly open with them. She longed to have someone, anyone, to talk to who would understand. Her heart and soul yearned for something she did not understand. The Force bristled under her fingertips encouraging her to reach out for something. She didn’t know what, but it was eager for her to begin some path it had planned for her. She could feel it. “_Search with your feelings” _the Force whispered to her.

Relenting to the Force’s encouragement, Rey tentatively used the Force to search for something. She did not let her shields fully open, but just opened her mind in the slightest. With closed eyes, she searched with the Force. She waited patiently, but nothing came to her. Not knowing what to expect, Rey thought maybe she misunderstood the Force. She opened her mind further and searched with her feelings. Her mind brushed over the base, the people inside, the desert and canyons, and reached out beyond the planet.

Although she was afraid, a part of her hoped that Kylo would be waiting for her. She knew it was wrong, but the feeling was there nonetheless. As her mind searched further, nothing came back to her or stirred any interest. Kylo Ren must have put up a Force shield against her as well. It made sense that he didn’t want anything to do with her. With a deep sigh, Rey retreated and opened her eyes. Her search had been unsuccessful, but the Force still bristled excitedly inside of her. She knew she would have to revisit this later. But for tonight she was done. With tears of disappointment and loneliness, Rey slipped under her blankets and drifted into a fitful sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

A roaring scream jolts Rey awake and up in bed. Covered in sweat, she looks around frantically, realizing she was having a nightmare. She closes her eyes and takes deep breaths to slow her heartbeat. With deep breaths, she coaxes her mind to relax. Suddenly, the air changes with a gentle whooshing noise.

When Rey opens her eyes, Kylo Ren is standing in her room with his back to her. He quickly turns around to find Rey sitting up in bed. Shocked by his presence, she doesn’t have a chance to react. Kylo, on the other hand, frantically rushes to Rey’s side. Perching on the edge of her bed, he grabs her shoulders in a firm grasp. He must have sensed her panic during her nightmare. Rey forgot that she left the Force bond open and he sensed her panic.

“Rey, are you all right? What’s wrong?” he asks. At arm's length he searches over her body looking for any signs of injury. His close presence after all this time makes her nervous. Calming down from her shock, Rey forces herself to speak.

“I’m… I'm fine. What are you doing here?” she asks in a quizzical manner.

“I sensed your panic. I thought you were hurt.” Kylo breathes heavy as he continues to look over Rey, taking her in. It’s been so long since he last saw her, and he can’t resist the temptation to look her over. He’s never seen her in such a relaxed state. Rey remembers she’s wearing her long thin tunic with nothing underneath but underwear. With her blanket gathered at her waist, her breasts peek through the tunic. Rey blushes, and pulls the blanket up over her chest. His ears peeking through his hair are tinged red.

“Well, I’m fine. I was just having a bad dream.” Rey states simply but firmly. She peruses Kylo and notes that his uniform is still the same. He has dark circles under his eyes and seems to have lost weight. The sight of Kylo before her forces her emotions to come surging to the forefront. She is surprised to find that despite her anger for him, she misses him as well. By the looks of Kylo, he seems equally as tormented as her. The frantic way he came rushing to her when he sensed her panic; it moved Rey to see that he cared that much. But Rey would not let her emotions take over this time. Kylo drops his hands to his lap and continues to survey Rey’s face.

“That must have been some dream. I thought you were dying.” He looks down at his lap frowning by his own concern.

“Yeah, well, you don’t have to worry about me. I can take care of myself.” she retorts. Avoiding eye contact, she looks down to the bedside where her Jedi texts lay stacked on the floor. Tears brim in her eyes, but she manages to contain them. Her quivering lip doesn’t escape Kylo. 

“I know you can. But sometimes it’s good to have someone who has your back, someone you can talk to.” At that comment, Rey laughs before she responds. She turns to look him in the eye with freshly shed tears.

“And you think that you’re the person that I can talk to? Don’t be ridiculous.” She laughs but it rings false.

“Who better to talk to than me?” Kylo responds, imploring her to seek the truth.

“How about my friends. Literally anyone in the Resistance.” Rey defends her answer.

“Your friends? Do they even know the truth?” He waits for her to answer, but she simply looks down at her hands in her lap. He continues, “What would they think if they found out about our Force Bond? The fact that you haven’t told them tells me all I need to know. You can’t talk to them. They won’t understand you. Not like I do.”

“How? How do you understand me?” Rey asks.

“You and I…we are the same. We are different from everyone else; we are strong with the Force. Whether you want to admit it or not, you struggle with your pull to the darkness, just like I do. Everyone looks at us different. They think we are freaks and they’re scared of us. You can’t truly confide in your friends; not like you really want to without judgment. But the way you feel, I feel the same. I know exactly how you feel, because I feel the same way. I understand you better than anyone ever could.”

“But you’re the enemy…the Supreme Leader! If I consort with you, it just confirms everyone’s suspicions that I’m a darkside user and a traitor!” Rey sniffles as tears fall from her eyes. Kylo frowns in question.

“Who thinks you’re a darkside user?” he asks.

“Most of the--don’t worry about it. I shouldn’t be telling you anything.” Rey says with resolve and a deep sigh. Determined to distance herself from Kylo, she pulls down her blankets. “I appreciate any concern you may have, but you never cared about my safety before...especially when you were trying to shoot me out of the sky.” Rey redoubles her efforts as she jumps out of bed. She takes two steps away from him when she is spun around and jolted into Kylo’s arms. He is now standing beside her bed, one arm wrapped around her waist and the other cupping Rey’s cheek.

“_I’ll never intentionally hurt you ever again._” Kylo speaks to her through the Force. Rey’s emotions shift suddenly, and she reaches up to press her lips hungrily against his.

Kylo is momentarily surprised, but quickly reciprocates. His arm around her waist tightens to bring her body tightly against his. Both of Rey’s hands come up to curve around his head and bury deep in his hair. His hair is thick and soft as she tugs at it. Kylo moans and tilts his head to deepen the kiss. Without hesitation, Rey pushes her tongue past Kylo’s lips. Rey’s eagerness pushes him further and his hand slides down to cup her ass, pulling her into him. Even though the connection is through the Force Bond, Rey can still taste him like he’s right here in her room. Her taste buds explode as she delves her tongue in his mouth. Desire pools between her legs as they continue to devour each other.

Kylo suddenly pulls back, breaking the connection, and sits down on her bed. Grabbing her hand, he tugs her to him. She eagerly climbs onto his lap with both knees straddling him. This time, it is Kylo who eagerly pushes his tongue past her lips, picking up where they left off. Still straddling him on her knees, Rey slowly lowers her body onto his lap. Kylo’s hands press against her lower back to pull her tighter against his groin. They both moan in unison as her hot center presses against his hard erection. To their surprise, the Force begins to swirl around them excitedly, as if this is what it wanted all along. With Kylo’s encouraging hands, Rey begins to rock her hips against his. Only a few layers stand in the way of Rey’s center and Kylo’s erection. The feeling is surprisingly more sensitive and pleasurable than Rey expects. Kylo also starts to thrust his hips up against Rey in tandem with hers. As the pleasure builds, the Force’s presence builds and connects their bodies more deeply. Rey throws her head back and gasps loudly as the pleasure heightens. Kylo’s lips connect with her neck, making sloppy, wet kisses up and down her neck and collarbone. Their rocking increases as they reach a feverish tempo. Rey has never felt such pleasure, especially through the simple act of grinding on someone’s lap. Kylo’s lips leave her neck and she wonders what he will do next. Unexpectedly, he takes Rey’s left nipple into his mouth through her tunic. His teeth wrap around her breast while his tongue swipes against her nipple.

“Ben!” Rey gasps as she climaxes violently in his arms, stars bursting behind her eyes. Kylo groans loudly and pulls Rey roughly by her hips one final time against his erection. The Force shatters around them, showering them with a feeling of ecstasy and perfection. His mouth lets go of her nipple and his breathing gasps and stutters as he comes. Rey grinds against him until they both come down from their orgasm.

“Rey.” Kylo whispers in a raspy voice as he rests his forehead against her sternum. “Fuck.”

Rey goes to speak to him, but there is a knock at her door.

“Rey, you awake? We’re back early.” She hears the distinct voice of Finn from behind her door.

Rey and Kylo’s eyes quickly meet in a panic. “Ben, wait-” But Kylo vanishes in an instant, leaving Rey to fall down on the bed with a yelp.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Rey couldn’t get the memory of that night out of her head. She knew that she should feel ashamed, but all she could feel was a girlish giddiness when she thought back to that night. Since that night, she kept her Force shield down, but she didn’t seek him out. It seemed that they were both nervous and a little embarrassed about that unexpected night. Rey didn’t know what that meant for them or where to go next. _Did they just pretend that nothing happened? Did they go back to being enemies? _There were brief instances where one of them would randomly appear during the day. It was usually in a public place and not a time that they could speak to one another. One of them would politely nod while the other would blush until the bond dissipated.

One thing Rey was sure of, was that the Force was pleased with their connection. In fact, it was absolutely tickled pink about the night of their...let’s call it “union.” Ever since that night, the Force felt very alive and happy beneath her skin. She was happy the Force was at peace which made her happy in return, but it only complicated things further. It was as if the Force thought it was completely logical and realistic for Rey to have a long-distance romance with Supreme Leader Kylo Ren. She rolled her eyes at the thought of it but giggled anyway.

One month had passed since their “union” and Rey was feeling thoughtful about her place in all this. Her mind wandered one evening as she was installing a control panel in an old shuttle ship.

“So?” Rey is distracted from her thoughts as Poe speaks. “You seem differently lately. Less moody. Not that your moods are bad. They’re fine. It’s just-”

Rey laughs as she cuts him off. “It’s fine. I’ve just been feeling better. Not dwelling on the past so much.” Which was true in a sense. She wasn’t full of regret and worry about the past anymore. Now, she only worried about the future.

“What I mean is, who’s the lucky guy...or girl?” Poe grins at her slyly.

“No one. It’s nothing.” Rey quickly supplies to settle any suspicions.

“Really? Finn said you came out of your room a while ago when they got back from a mission, and you were absolutely glowing...like you just had a fast fu-”

“Really Poe?” Rey cuts him off. Her blush creeps up and there’s nothing she can do to hide it. She had hoped Finn didn’t notice anything off that night, but it seems she failed to act normal. “And even if I was, it’s nobody's business but mine.”

Poe laughs. “Alright, alright. I won’t bug you about it, but I know there’s someone. If he or she doesn’t work out, let me know and maybe we could...ya know.” Poe winks at Rey with a wide grin.

Rey rolls her eyes and leans back down in the cockpit to connect more wires. Unexpectedly, a wave of nausea rolls over her. She pauses to wait for it to pass, but it doesn’t subside. She darts from the shuttle to the nearest trashcan and empties the contents of her lunch from her stomach. _That came out of nowhere. _Sliding down to the floor, she wipes her mouth on her sleeve.

“Wow Rey, next thing you know you’re gonna have a little Jedi baby.” Poe winks at her jokingly. 

“Shut up, Poe.” She groans. Poe darts away from her as she reaches for the closest tool she can find and chunks it at him playfully. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Hoping she’ll start feeling better, Rey goes back to her room to lay down until dinner. She wonders what could be wrong, because she rarely gets sick and doesn’t have a weak stomach. She thinks about what Poe said about her being pregnant, but she quickly dismisses that notion. _That’s impossible, _she thinks. She does the math and realizes that her period is late by two weeks. Her periods are typically regular, but she doesn’t strictly keep track of them because she never has sex. She chalks is up to a fluke and goes down to the cafeteria for dinner.

She sits next to Rose and across from Finn for dinner. Today’s menu was meatloaf.

“Poe said you were throwing up today. Everything alright?” Rose asks with concern.

Rey nods. “Yeah, I think it must be a bug or something. I’m feeling better now.” But Rey’s stomach clenches when the smell of the meatloaf reaches her nose. She forces several bites of the meatloaf down but can’t bear another bite. The plain mashed potatoes are much more tolerable, so Rey shovels them in her mouth as Finn and Rose talk about their recent voyage. Rey listens haphazardly when Finn pours a tub of brown gravy over his mashed potatoes. Rey’s stomach clenches and gurgles at the sight of the gravy. Bringing the back of her hand to her forehead, she feels sweat prickling on her brow.

“Rey, are you alright? You look really pale.“ Finn states with a worried look.

“Yeah, maybe I’m not quite over this virus. I think I’d better go so I don’t get you all sick.” Rey tells them. She quickly dumps her tray and rushes down the hall to the closest bathroom. Once again, she loses the contents of her latest meal. She rests her arms on the toilet seat trying to rack her brain. It’s highly unusual for Rey to get sick. She’s not sure why she never gets sick, but maybe it’s a Force user thing. For her to be this sick so suddenly seems really odd to her. She thinks back again to the possibility of her being pregnant. She knew it was impossible, but she had learned so many things she didn’t know were possible through the Force this past year. _Could it be? _she thought. She decides to settle the issue once and for all. Discreetly, she goes to medical and asks the medic-droid for a pregnancy test. Hurriedly, she goes back to her room before she gets sick again.

Back in her room she paces back-and-forth, biting her nails. It’s silly that she’s even considering taking a pregnancy test. _Right? _She laughs at the insanity of it all, but ultimately decides to take the test. Due to Rey’s special skills, she has an upgraded suite including a small fresher. She opens the side door and goes to the fresher. Making quick work, she takes the test and lets it sit for the required three minutes. She doesn’t look at it right away, but instead, exits the fresher to pace her bedroom. The minutes pass by like hours. After two minutes, she can’t stand it any longer and rushes to the fresher to look at the results.

“_Positive_“ the results read.

Rey stares in utter disbelief at the pregnancy test. _How is this possible? Can this really be happening? _She grabs the test to take a closer look. _Yep, pregnant. _Staring at the test, she makes her way to the long mirror in her room. Looking in the mirror, she doesn’t look any different. Just the same girl from Jakku. Then, she turns to stand profile in the mirror. Lifting her shirt, she looks in the mirror to see if there’s any difference. Her stomach is still flat, but it would be too soon to show anyway. Dropping her shirt, she gently places a hand on her stomach.

Tears fall from her eyes as she realizes there is life growing inside of her. She’s not sure how or why, but it’s there nonetheless. The pit of her stomach drops out and she’s filled with worry and fear about her child’s future. _How will she raise a child? How can she protect a child from this ugly war? _She looks at the pregnancy test again just to be sure the results have not changed. With a sigh, she lets her hand drop, while the other hand rests on her belly still. Looking in the mirror, she sticks her belly out to imagine what she will look like when she’s further along with child.

At that moment, she feels a flutter in the Force. She turns her head to see Kylo Ren standing across the room staring at Rey with disgust and hatred. _How long has he been standing there? _He stands in a defensive stance, like he’s ready to draw his lightsaber at any moment. Seeing the pregnancy test in one hand and the other hand on her belly, he lashes out with his words.

“You’re with child!” He growls at her with barely contained rage. “How could you? How could you do this to me?” He shouts. Rey is still in shock over discovering her pregnancy. She hasn’t even had a chance to consider how Kylo Ren fits into all of this. Rey starts to respond, but Kylo cuts her off when he ignites his red lightsaber. He screams as if in anguish and slashes repeatedly at something to his left. Sure that he’s destroying something wherever he’s at, she tries to stop him.

“Ben I-”

“Who?” Kylo turns to face her again, taking a step closer. “Who was it?”

Rey frowns at him in confusion. Then she realizes what he’s asking her. She turns to face him squarely and stands tall. “Ben, there’s been no one.”

“Don’t lie to me!” Kylo screams. His body is shaking with rage and she knows he’s hanging on by a thread.

“Calm down, Ben. Calm down or I’ll shut you out. I’m warning you.” Rey tells him firmly.

Kylo doesn’t listen. He’s too blind with anger. “Who was it, Rey? It was that pilot wasn’t it? Poe Dameron! I’ll kill him. I’ll kill them all! No one lays a hand on you. You’re mine!” He takes a step closer, almost closing the gap between them. He was getting out of control. Rey had no idea what was going on and needed some time to process and think. Kylo was not helping.

Rey reaches out with the Force and brings up her shields, effectively kicking out Kylo Ren. She sees the desperate look in his eyes right before he disappears. Her room is finally silent with the echo of his lightsaber buzzing in the air. She stumbles back to her bed and plops down. Laying her head on her pillow, she closes her eyes and reaches out with the Force. _Was this the Force’s doing? The Force wants this? _These last eight months had been torture for Rey, and the Force was always unsettled in her body. It was constantly pushing her for something more. She trained harder, thinking that’s what the Force wanted, but maybe she was wrong. When she was with Kylo Ren a month ago, the Force had practically hummed with rightness and contentment. It weaved its way in between them as they both came together. It felt so right and..._perfect._

Gently laying her hand on her stomach, she reaches out with the Force. She carefully feels for something...anything that can give her a clue. Then, like a shining star from far away, she feels it. She senses the faintest hint of the being growing inside her. It’s so tiny, barely beginning to grow. It will be a Force user, like her...and like its father. She gasps as she senses traces of Ben within it as well. _So it was Ben Solo’s child. _Tears fall from the creases of her closed eyes. She didn’t know how this was possible, but she knew immediately that she loved it. This changed everything. In the span of one evening, Rey knew exactly what her purpose was. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Kylo Ren stood by Rey’s bedside as she slept peacefully. Apparently, her sleep was so peaceful that she let her shields down, enabling Kylo to return to her room. Earlier, he had been blind with anger and jealousy. He truly believed that he and Rey belong together. The Force had assured him of that. He knew that she felt the connection too. He was shocked that Rey would ignore the Force to be with another man. The thought of Rey with another man broke his heart in two. After she severed the Force connection, he crumbled to the ground in a sobbing heap. It was one of his weakest moments, and he’s had many of those. He didn’t know if he would ever see her again.

Now, he sinks to his knees beside her bed. Looking over her, she looks peaceful as she sleeps. _Beautiful. Perfect. _Somehow, he doesn’t think that she usually sleeps so peacefully. He frowns at her stomach, wondering what is growing inside her. Against his better judgment, he closely hovers his hand over her stomach. He closes his eyes and uses the Force to search her body. He needs to know what or who is growing inside of her. His eyebrows furrow as he searches deeper. Suddenly, he feels the Force presence of a child. A Force user! A _strong _Force user! Clearly, getting its power from its Mother. And when he searches a little harder...it’s Father too! Kylo’s eyes open in astonishment. The other half of the child is his! Through the Force they had somehow conceived a child. The feeling of excitement overwhelms him. He was going to be a Father!

He looks up at Rey to find her still sleeping. She’ll probably be angry with him still when she wakes, as she has every right to be. He was wrong to have not trusted her, not that she owed him anything. He knows he doesn’t deserve her. The Force has brought them together and given them a child. Suddenly, everything else dims in comparison to this: the First Order, the Rebel Alliance, the war, the light, the dark. None of it mattered but Rey and their child. He knew what he had to do now.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Rey wakes up late the next morning surprised to feel refreshed. Her sleep had been peaceful. She dreamed of a little baby with dark hair bundled in her arms. Rey knows she has a lot to figure out, but she wants to start the day off right. After a quick shower, she puts on her usual capris and tunic, and heads down to the cafeteria. Though she doesn’t feel hungry, she knows that it’s important to she eat something. Usually, she just grabs a muffin and eats on-the-go. Today, she scoops herself a healthy serving of scrambled eggs with imitation bacon. Most people are already at their stations by now. She sits at an empty table to eat and contemplate.

Rey knows that she needs to come up with a plan and a timeline. She has approximately eight months before the baby arrives. She’ll eventually need to go to medical to get the pre-natal care she needs. Also, she can’t keep this a secret forever; she needs to figure out what she will tell her friends. A vision of giving birth on a rebel base appears in her mind. _This won’t do. _Her baby will never be safe as long as she stays with the Resistance. When people find out she’s pregnant, the price on her head will double. Her and her baby won’t be safe anywhere. Everyone fears the Force users. She can’t raise her child with the Resistance, or even associate herself with the Resistance. She needs to disappear. She needs to find somewhere safe where she can survive and lay low for a while.

It will be hard to leave her friends and the Resistance behind, but it has to be done. She can’t risk telling her friends about the baby, but she can at least write them letters goodbye. General Leia, however, will be different. There’s no way Rey could keep that secret from Leia anyway. Leia is too Force sensitive, and besides, this baby will be her grandchild. She at least deserves to know. 

As she shovels more eggs into her mouth, her thoughts shift to Kylo Ren. He was so angry last night that she couldn’t even get a word in. Her only other option was to shut him out. Since then she had stopped blocking him, but she also was not reaching out to him. Knowing how upset he was, she’s surprised he hasn’t reached out to her already. He’s oddly quiet.

A new thought forms. She knows Kylo will eventually realize the child is his. How will he react when he discovers this new information? A new fear settles in the pit of her stomach. _Will he try to kill the child? Will he try to take the child from her? _This is not something she could allow. Rey will not let Kylo take this baby from her and raise it in the dark side. This fear solidifies her plans to leave. It was even more of a reason for her to leave sooner. Kylo already knew she was with child. It was only a matter of time before he realizes the child is his. Rey will not wait around to see how he reacts. She needs to leave right away.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Rey decides to leave tomorrow as soon as she’s ready. That should give her enough time to do everything she needs to do. She makes a quick trip to medical and gets her prenatal vitamins. She had to steal them, so no one would know she was pregnant. She spends the rest of her day writing letters to her friends and packing her things, though she doesn’t have much to pack. She decides she’ll take the Millennium Falcon. Knowing the Skywalker blood will carry on through her child, she figures Leia and Han would not mind. She considers talking to General Leia in person, but she can’t follow through with it. Hoping Leia will forgive her, she writes Leia a long letter telling her everything. She plans to deliver the letters right before she leaves.

The remainder of the afternoon she keeps her distance from her friends. When they call in to check on her, she tells them she’s still not feeling well and needs to rest. That evening, she scours over maps trying to find somewhere to retreat. The galaxy is vast and there are many options. She decides to check out several locations before picking one place to eventually settle. That night she lays in bed with a nervous energy. She is certain that this is the right thing to do. Kylo‘s Force presence remains quiet, and she doesn’t know if that’s a good or a bad sign. She wants to tell him the truth, and figure out what’s going on between them, but her baby’s safety is more important right now.

She wakes early the next morning before everyone else is awake. Using the privacy of the early morning, she packs most of her belongings in the Millennium Falcon. She’s thankful she took the time to make the necessary repairs to the Falcon, as well as a much-needed cleaning of the interior and exterior. She returns to her room where her small pack sits, and her handwritten letters addressed to Leia, Finn, Rose, and Poe await delivery. Hoping they won’t be too disappointed in her, she hates that she can’t tell them the truth...at least not yet.

As the sun begins to rise, she hears people stirring in the corridors. With a long stretch and a pat on her belly, she exits her room to head to the cafeteria for breakfast. When she enters the cafeteria, Finn, Rose, and Poe are already eating at a table together. Rey grabs some breakfast on a tray and joins them. She slides onto the bench beside Poe. Finn and Rose sit across from her.

“Hey guys, what’s up?” Rey asks with false excitement.

“Rey! You feeling better?” Poe asks as he claps her on the back.

“Much better, thanks. Did I miss anything?” Rey replies.

“Not much on our end.” Finn states with a bored sigh.

“But there’s chatter among the higher-ups right now. There’s been some news within the First Order, but they haven’t told us anything yet.” Rose chimes in with excitement. “Maybe they’ll make an announcement during the quarter’s meeting.”

Rey focuses on her food and eats her large helping of biscuits and gravy. It seems that she got her appetite back, which is good. She can’t really afford to have any complications with this pregnancy. She’s aware that this may be the last time she ever sees her friends.

“Guys,” she looks up and waits until she has their attention, “I just want you all to know that I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I consider you three to be my best friends.”

“Aww shucks Rey. We love you too!” Poe replies in a sing-song voice, while Finn and Rose smile at Rey.

“I’m serious.” Rey ducks her head this time. “I know I’m not the easiest to be friends with. I’m strange and a Force user...but I just want you all to know how much I value your friendship.”

“Don’t say that.” Finn responds. “You are not strange, and I don’t care that you’re a Force user. I think you’re a badass. You’ve saved my hide more times than I can count.” Rose and Poe adamantly agree. They don’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary with Rey’s behavior. They finish the remainder of breakfast with relative ease, talking about First Order news and upcoming missions. Rey stays mostly quiet, listening to her friends laugh and bicker. She’s really going to miss them.

Rey quietly goes back to her room to prepare for her departure. She clips her lightsaber on her belt and pulls her cloak over her shoulders. This new cloak is one of her few valued possessions. Leia gifted it to her when she first accompanied Leia on a diplomatic mission. It’s made of a rich, dark grey fabric of a high quality yet sturdy material. It has a hood with deep pockets and comes down to her shins. It acts as a sort of protection to Rey from the outside world. She teared up the day that Leia gave it to her. Now, she smooths it down over her torso, once again shielding herself from the outside world. Walking to her small desk, her fingers brush over the letters that she still needs to deliver.

Suddenly, there’s a disturbance in the Force. Rey’s fingers on the letters still as she closes her eyes to sense the change. Her eyes jolt open with alertness. _Kylo Ren is here. Now_. That can only mean one thing. _He knows._


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Rey quickly makes her way to the control room to intervene. Hopefully she can leave the resistance out of this and they are none-the-wiser. But when she opens the door to the control room, she knows she won’t be able to pull it off. The room is full of people shuffling about and multiple proximity radars are buzzing. There is a large window taking up an entire wall overlooking the desert plains. Leia stands at the front of the window watching as a small black dot appears in the atmosphere. Rey stands in the back, watching the events unfold before her. The black dot gets larger and larger until it’s clear to make out that it’s a First Order Tie Fighter heading straight for the Rebel base. Several people are calling out to Leia, asking for orders, but she just raises her hand to silence them. Everyone stops and watches as the Tie Fighter lands approximately a quarter mile on the desert floor in front of the base. As they wait for the dust to settle around the Tie Fighter, people murmur questioningly all over the room.

_“Maybe it’s one of our spies?” “Why would they come without protection?” “It must be a suicide mission.” “How did they find us?” “The First Order won’t be far behind. I wonder if we’ll have to evacuate again.”_

The last whisper worries Rey. She hopes she hasn’t put the Resistance in danger. The hatch to the Tie Fighter glides open and everyone waits with bated breath to see who will emerge from the ship. Rey is not surprised to see Kylo Ren climb out of the Tie and plant his feet firmly on the desert floor. Everyone in the control room responds with gasps, some even curse. Several people scramble to their control panels to ready their guns and cannons in their control. 

“Silence everyone! Stand down. We don’t know why he’s here. He’s not here to defeat the entire Resistance.” Leia commands everyone with her calm but firm voice.

Rey takes this opportunity to approach Leia, standing closely behind her to her left. Leia senses Rey and turns to face her. Rey wishes they didn’t have an audience, but there’s nothing she can do about that now. She blushes as she answers Leia’s questioning look. 

“He’s here for me.” Rey supplies embarrassed. Everyone will know that Kylo flew across the galaxy for her. 

“Indeed he is.” Leia responds with a nod. Somehow, she doesn’t seem very surprised either. She waves her hand to signal some guards in the room. “Go open the front gates for Rey. Leave them open.” 

“Thank you.” Rey whispers but Leia hears her nonetheless. She swiftly follows the guards out of the control room to the front gates. The giant iron gates are unbolted and thrust open. The guards stop at the gate’s perimeter and watch Rey with question as she proceeds forward. With a deep breath to steady herself, she steps out into the desert. From afar she can see Kylo Ren walking toward her. The sight of him in the flesh makes her heart beat rapidly. The Force within her perks up with attention. She makes her way toward him at a moderate pace, not too fast or slow. She had no idea what would transpire between them, but she knew she had to choose her words carefully.

As she nears closer to Kylo, she notices he is wearing a backpack. Like his clothes, it’s also black and almost unnoticeable. He’s in his same black garments, but his face is not etched with anger like the last time she saw him. Instead, his features are set with sadness and regret. They both come to a stop about ten feet away from each other. Rey is fully aware that everyone from the control room, including Leia, are watching them.

“Kylo Ren.” Rey acknowledges him without emotion. 

“Rey.” He responds with a nod. She waits a moment to see if he will supply her with an explanation for his presence. _Nothing_. It looks as if he’s..._nervous?_

“What are you doing here?” She asks him with a firm voice.

“You know why I’m here.” He merely replies, shifting a little with unease and nervousness.

“Not really. The last time I saw you, you were-”

“I know,” he cuts her off. He runs a hand through his hair nervously. “I know how I was behaving was unacceptable. But…” He tries to think of the right words to say. Rey is surprised to see that Kylo is just as flustered and nervous as her. He struggles to find the right words to say.

“But what?” she asks impatiently.

“I know the baby is mine.” he states simply. She takes a small step back in shock. He did figure it out..._and quick_. He didn’t waste any time coming for her.

“I won’t let you take it from me.” She firmly states as she takes another small step back. “I will die to protect it.”

“I know.” Kylo holds his hands out, palms up in a calming peaceful gesture. He slowly walks toward her until they shift positions and are standing parallel to the control room window. Rey has forgotten entirely about their audience. “I know you will. I’m not here take the child.” Rey lets out a small sigh of relief. At least that was one less thing she had to worry about.

“I’m leaving.” She lets down her defenses and opens up to him. “I won’t raise this child anywhere near this war. I have to get away from the First Order and the Resistance. I can’t risk it. I won’t. Once everyone finds out, they’ll come for the child. I want to keep it a secret for as long as I can.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Kylo replies surprisingly. She half expected him to attempt convincing her to go back to the newly built Finalizer with him.

“You showing up here like this does not help me to make a discrete get away. Literally the entire resistance is watching us right now. Do you realize that?” Rey quirks an eyebrow at him.

“I don’t care.” Once again Kylo’s words stun Rey. His attitude is a complete 180 from the last time they spoke. “As soon as I knew, I just had to come to you as soon as possible.”

She appraises him as he stands only two feet from her. His clothes are wrinkled from travel, but his face holds no hint of anger. Rey feels the desire to reach out and cup his worried face in her hands...to tell him their child will be okay. But she restrains the urge to make any physical contact with him.

“Kylo, if you’re not here to take me or the child, then why are you here?” She asks him seriously. “Coming here like this was…dangerous.”

“Ben, please call me Ben.” He takes a deep breath and adds. “I can’t let you raise this child alone. "Without notice, Kylo falls to his knees before Rey. She gasps in surprise, unsure what he plans to do.

His hands hesitantly come up to hover over Rey’s stomach. “May I?” Kylo looks up at Rey, waiting for her permission. She is astonished and speechless. She nods, giving him permission to proceed. His hands gently part and push aside her cloak. As if remembering something, he quickly jerks his gloves off and tosses them to the ground. His hands return to her as he gently rests them on her stomach. The contact with Kylo sends shivers throughout her body. His hands are so large they could wrap around her entire waist, but instead, he concentrates them on the front of her belly. He closes his eyes in concentration to feel for the child.

“Ah, there he is.” Kylo sighs with delight, a small smile upon his face. “So strong, like you. So perfect.” 

“He?” she asks him with a frown.

“It’s a boy.” Kylo opens his eyes and looks at her. His eyes are filled with hope and nervousness. “My Father was never around growing up. Neither was Leia. I don’t blame them for my actions, but they made many mistakes. I won’t make the same mistakes my Father did. I’m sorry Rey…for the way I’ve acted, treated you, for the things I’ve done. I’ve done horrible, awful things and I know I don’t deserve forgiveness…especially from you. But…there is still good in me. You helped me to see that. And this child…he changes everything. I don’t want him to turn out like me. I want him to have a fighting chance. Like me, this child will be susceptible to the darkside. He deserves a mother and a father to love and protect him.”

Tears threaten to fall from Rey’s eyes as she processes his words. “Please, stand up.” She tells him. Removing his hands from her stomach, he stands up even closer to her now. “That was a lot to take in. What do you want me to say?”

Ben grasps her hands lightly in his. “I want to leave with you. Let me raise this child with you. I’ll go anywhere you want. I’m at your mercy here. Please, if you’ll have me.” Kylo begs her with emotion in his voice. He waits in anticipation for her answer. Allowing him to come with her will be huge risk. She searches his feelings and senses no deceptions. The Force stirs inside of her, pushing her to Kylo…no, not Kylo. _Ben._

“Yes, Ben.” She responds after a moment of hesitation.

“Really?” Ben asks in amazement.

“There’s a lot to figure out and it won’t be easy, but yes.” She responds. Ben’s smile gets even bigger and he pulls her hands to him to try to hug her. Rey pulls back.

“Ben, I’d rather not do this out here. We have an audience.” Rey whispers. Remembering where he is, Ben looks at the base.

“Oh yeah. Of course. Shall we?” he asks.

“Are you ready?”

“Sure.” He frowns.

“Well, then get ready and follow my lead.” She smiles at him.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Ben walks directly behind Rey as they approach the gate, his gloves long forgotten on the desert floor. There are eight guards posted at the front gate which is still open. When Rey reaches the guards, she finds the most senior ranking and directs him.

“Tell General Leia I’m taking Kylo Ren to my quarters to discuss the terms of his surrender. I will update her shortly.” 

The guard looks at Ben cautiously before nodding to Rey and leaving. The other guards make room for Rey and Ben to pass. They know better than to try anything against two force users. As Rey guides him through the corridors to her quarters, people stand in the corridors watching curiously as they pass. Rey is certain she passes Rose and Finn on her way, but she doesn’t look at him. She wishes she could disappear into her cloak. Ben continues to follow silently behind her.

Rey takes a deep breath as she finally closes the door to her bedroom and locks it. She turns around to find Ben looking at the letters on her desk. He looks up and glances around the rest of her room to find it cleared out.

“You were leaving today?” He asks her.

“Yes. I was about to leave when you showed up. I think we should stick to that plan. You won’t be safe here much longer. But first we need to figure a few things out.”

“Of course.” He turns to face her now.

“What about the First Order? Did they track you here? Where do they think you went? How did you even find me in the first place?” Rey overwhelms him with questions.

“They can’t track me. I used a decommission Tie Fighter. I triple checked the ship and ran a ship scan before I left. I informed General Hux I was visiting the ship factories on planet Corellia for the commission of a custom ship.” Ben steps closer to Rey. “I found your location through the Force. Once I realized you were carrying my child, the bond between us became even stronger. It’s like a part of me is inside of you.” He takes her hands in his as she looks into his dark eyes.

“And just like that, you’re leaving the First Order?” she asks him.

“Just like that.” He pleads for her understanding. “Rey, ever since the Finalizer, I’ve been in agony. Snoke no longer has a hold on me. I have no desire to stay with the First Order, but I didn’t have anywhere to go before. There would be a price on my head by both sides. You know the Force is connecting us. I thought maybe it would get easier as time passed, but it only got worse. You blocked me out and there was nothing I could do about it. Then, when I saw you again that night a month ago…” He looks down in a bashful manner. “Everything made sense. I saw it so clearly. We are meant to be together. Not just because the Force wills it, but also, because I want to be with you. You are everything I could never be. You were strong, when I was weak. You’ve resisted temptation from the darkside. You’re this shining beacon of light telling me I can do better and be better. I admire and adore you. Since that night, I’ve contemplated leaving every night since. I planned out how I would do it. But when I saw you with that pregnancy test in your hand, I thought I was such an idiot. Thinking you would ever choose me.”

Rey brings her left hand up to caress his face. “I did choose you. Since I met you, I could never allow myself to be with anyone else, even if we couldn’t together.” Ben tilts his head into her hand as she traces the scar on his face.

“When I realized the child was mine, everything changed. This is my destiny. You and this child are my future. Not the First Order, not the Resistance.”

Ben leans forward to bury his face in the side of her neck. She wraps her arms around his neck as he encircles her waist squeezing her tightly. His manly smell stirs something inside Rey, but she pushes the feeling down for another time. They take a moment to just embrace each other before they continue on their crazy journey.

“Before we can leave, I need to see Leia. I was originally planning to leave the letters and just go, but now that ship has sailed.” She frowns with worry, pulling out of his embrace. “Any suggestions?”

“I have something she needs. I can give her the tools she needs to defeat the First Order once and for all.” Rey looks to him in astonishment.

“Just like that?” she asks again..

“Just like that.” He smiles at her

With Rey’s pack secured and letters in hand, she unlocks her bedroom door. Upon exit, there are four guards waiting outside. They inform Rey that Leia is waiting for them in her personal chambers. With a nod to the guards, she begins walking to Leia’s room with Ben in tow closely behind her. The guards follow behind to make sure there is no interference. Already, Rey feels out of place here. She can hardly take the stares of confusion and betrayal. Avoiding eye contact with everyone, they finally find themselves at Leia’s door. Rey knocks swiftly until she hears Leia’s voice.

They tentatively enter Leia’s room to find her waiting for them. There are two couches in the sitting room, but Leia is already standing. By the look of Ben’s body language, Rey has a feeling this visit will be short. His shoulders are tense as he enters the room with his hands fisted by his side. Leia’s eyes quickly find her son. They make eye contact, but Ben doesn’t show any emotion. Breaking the tension, Rey approaches Leia first. She comes forward to stand directly in front of the General. Ben stands off to the side near the door.

“General Leia, originally I had plans to leave today, _before _Ben showed up.” Surprise crosses Leia’s face as Rey calls him Ben. Rey remembers that Leia doesn’t know the extent of their relationship. “I have…personal reasons that require me to leave the Resistance. It’s safest for everyone if I leave. I wrote you and my close friends’ letters. Your letter explains everything. I didn’t want to hurt you, and I hope you know how much you mean to me. You’ve been like a Mother to me.” Tears well in Rey’s eyes. “Please forgive me. This isn’t goodbye forever. It’s just goodbye for now.”

Rey hands the letters to Leia with tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Leia takes the letters and nods sympathetically to Rey. Rey then takes several steps back to allow Ben to approach his Mother. Ben hesitantly approaches Leia. Anxiously, Rey watches, hoping this doesn’t all fall apart. She has no idea what Ben plans to tell Leia.

“Mother.” Ben acknowledges Leia. “I’m not here to surrender.” There’s a long pause before Leia responds.

“Okay. Why are you here?” Leia asks with a shaky voice, not her usual firm, commanding voice. She glances at Rey then back to Ben again, trying to piece together what’s going on.

“I’m leaving with Rey” he pauses before adding, “to assist her.”

“But Ben, you’re a war criminal wanted by the Resistance. If I let you walk free, the Alliance will remove me from my command. Then, there will be nothing I can do to protect you from the Rebellion.” Leia pleads with desperation in her voice.

“I’ve left the First Order....for good. Rey and I will go into hiding for some time. You won’t hear from us for a while. I’m not surrendering or asking you to make a deal for me, but…” Ben produces a data drive from his pocket and holds it out to Leia. “I’m offering the Resistance the necessary tools to defeat the First Order. An olive branch, if you will.”

Leia slowly takes the drive from his hand with a skeptical look. “What’s this?”

“I’ve planted explosive devices on all of the First Order’s major ships: star destroyers, heavy cruisers, dreadnoughts, and the Finalizer. The detonation codes for those explosives are on this drive. It’s highly unlikely, but in the event that they discover and remove the explosives, I downloaded a copy of the First Order’s main hard drive on the Tie Fighter. You’ll have access to everything, even launch codes. Do what you want with the information. It should be enough.”

Leia looks at Ben in astonishment with her mouth agape. “So you’ve been planning this. How did you manage to plant all those explosives? That must have taken months.”

Kylo glances at Rey as his cheeks blush. “It took one month. I was completing inspections. I was the Supreme Leader, so I could do what I want. Currently, they think I’m on planet Corellia having a ship built. So we have a few days before they start to suspect something. Rey and I will be long gone by then.”

Leia takes a moment to process this information. “Okay. So I’m supposed to just let you go, based on what you say is on this data drive?”

“I’m not asking your permission.” Ben responds tersely, then takes a breath to calm himself. “But it would be nice to leave without the Resistance shooting at us. And maybe when all is said and done, eventually Rey and I can come out from hiding without a price on our heads.”

“There’s something you’re not telling me.” Leia is no fool. She looks between Ben and Rey for several seconds. Rey doesn’t have much of a poker face, so she keeps her face focused on the floor. With a deep sigh she relents. “Well, I hope when either of you are ready, you’ll tell me. You know you can tell me anything.” She looks at them both firmly.

“Will you allow us leave freely?” Ben asks his Mother.

Leia carefully reaches out and takes Ben’s hand in hers. She squeezes his hand tightly and smiles at him sadly. “Ben, I want you to know that I’m sorry for failing you as a mother. Han and I are to blame for Snoke taking you from us. And for that I’m sorry.” She pauses to wipe a tear from her face with her other hand. “But I will always love you...no matter what. You’re my son.” She releases his hand and takes a step back to straighten herself. “Yes, you both may leave freely.” Ben’s eyes are glassy by Leia’s unexpected apology.

Rey sighs with relief as another hurdle is crossed. At that moment Leia looks to Rey and walks over to her. “Sweet Rey, whatever it is that troubles you, I know you will overcome it. I have never met a more determined, good-hearted woman such as yourself. And if Ben is determined to help you, then you can’t fail. He is very loyal to those he cares about.” Rey nods on the verge of tears and wraps her arms around Leia in an embrace. Leia returns the hug and whispers in Rey’s ear. “I knew you would be the one to bring him back. Thank you, Rey.” They release each other and step back. 

“I will assemble the resistance for an announcement. They’ll all be eager to hear any new information about Kylo Ren. While they are gathered, I will escort you both to the Millennium Falcon. Then, I’ll make my way to the gathering to announce my plan. Not everyone will be happy about me letting you go. But there’s not much I can do about that.”

“Thank you.” Rey and Ben say in unison.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Leia makes an announcement over the intercom for the entire Resistance to gather at the make-shift Auditorium in one hour. Rey and Ben wait patiently within Leia’s quarters as the Resistance gathers. They can hear people shuffling through the halls, eager to hear the news.

After everyone has gathered and the corridors are empty, Leia escorts Ben and Rey quickly to the hangar where the Millennium Falcon is docked. When they enter the hangar bay, there’s not a soul in sight. Rey spots the Falcon sticking out amidst the sea of X-wings. Leia’s voice echoes in the vast room.

“Hurry.” Leia rushes them to the Falcon’s ramp.

Rey turns to Leia one last time. She wraps her arms tightly around the General in a quick embrace. “Thank you, Leia...for everything. Goodbye.”

Leia pulls back and stares sternly at Rey. “This isn’t goodbye forever, just goodbye for now.” She gives her a wink before she turns to her son. Ben steps forward approaching his mother.

Ben earnestly addresses Leia. “Mother, thank you for your help and understanding and…” With glassy eyes he looks down nervously to avoid her gaze, “for everything else.” Towering over her, he leans forward and gives her a brief but firm hug before releasing her. When he pulls away, Leia is on the verge of tears again.

“Goodbye, son. Take care of her.” She implores him.

Ben nods to his Mother and turns to Rey who is waiting at the edge of the Falcon’s ramp. They both step onto the ramp and give Leia one last glance as the ramp begins to close. Leia’s arms are wrapped around herself as if she’s trying to comfort herself. Rey’s heart breaks a little for having to leave Leia like this. She feels like there is so much left unsaid. In her heart, she knows they will see the General again.

Once the ramp closes, Ben and Rey don’t hesitate to prepare the ship for departure. Ben seems to know his way around the ship right away. The hangar bay doors are open, so they can make a quick getaway. Securing their packs in separate bunks, they both then rush to the cockpit. As they both enter at the same time, Ben proceeds to sit in the pilot’s seat before he stops himself. He backs up and holds out his hand, motioning for Rey to sit instead. Surprised, Rey looks at him questioningly, but Ben doesn’t need to say anything. He is relinquishing control to Rey. Just the simple act of letting Rey pilot the Falcon speaks volumes. 

Rey sits, and Ben takes the co-pilot chair beside her. They both begin pushing buttons and pulling levers to power up the Falcon. The Falcon stirs to life right away with a deep rumble. Rey is pleased to hear the Falcon running much smoother after all the repairs were made to the ship.

“Ready?” She asks him without making eye contact. Her eyes are focused on the dials on the control panel. She feels him nod silently in her peripheral vision. Simultaneously, they each reach for the two throttles on the control panel. In unison, they push the throttles up, bringing the Falcon off the ground and lunging forward.

The Falcon rushes from the hangar bay and into the atmosphere. Rey immediately prepares the ship for hyperdrive to get away from the Resistance’s radars. As if reading her mind, Ben is aware of her intentions. Rey supposes their Force bond helps with that. Ben automatically follows Rey’s lead and flips some switches to his right. There’s a brief pause as he waits for the hyperdrive to prime.

“Ready.” He tells her in a quiet voice. Once again, they both pull their respective throttles, sending the Falcon into hyperdrive. The ship thrusts forwards as stars start to whiz by in streaks. They both audibly let out a sigh and collapse back in their chairs. Today has been a stressful day indeed, but for now, they were in the clear. Rey notes how they are both relaxed after being tense all day long. She can finally breathe. She giggles at the insanity of her day. Ben tilts his head to her with a look of concern.

“What’s so funny?” He asks in a serious voice. Clearly he did not share her sense of humor.

“Nothing.” she replies. She turns her head to face him and they lock eyes. “It’s just been a long and crazy day.” Reaching forward, she rests her hand on his forearm and gives him a gentle squeeze. She smiles slightly in an attempt to comfort and reassure him. Ben’s features change from serious to flustered in an instant. The tips of his ears and cheeks turn red at her modest gesture. She notices the way Ben’s jaw works from side-to-side in contemplation. She finds herself transfixed by his mouth and can’t look away. Breaking her grip on his arm, Ben quietly gets up from his chair and exits the cockpit. 

Not sure if Ben wants to be alone, Rey goes to the common area to give him some space. If he wants to talk to her, he knows where to find her. Not long after, Ben finds her in the common area sitting on the lounge seating by the hologram board. Using the hologram board as a table, Rey has a map spread open. Ben sits on the other end of the lounge and looks at her map. The map is tattered and torn with new additions taped on the sides to expand the map.

“Have you picked somewhere yet?“ he asks her solemnly.

“I have a few places in mind.“ She replies without looking up. Deep in concentration, she carefully looks at the map. She can feel Ben hovering closer to look at the map. She wrote notes of potential locations, which she can feel him now perusing. Rey has the distinct feeling that Ben wants to say something but is holding back. She knows he is putting in an effort to let her take control, but it’s not control she wants. Whether she likes it or not, there are some areas where Ben is more knowledgeable and experienced than her. To not use that wisdom would be foolish.

Relenting, she sits back with a tired moan. “I marked a few remote locations we could check out. But I’m all ears if you have any better ideas.”

At her statement, Ben sits up and pulls a small holopad from his pocket. His fingers fiddle with the screen for a bit before he swipes his finger up, throwing the image vertically onto the hologram board. A map of a galaxy that Rey doesn’t recognize appears.

“There are a few locations where I’ve established bunkers over time. These locations are off the map, undocumented, so no one knows about them except for me. My mother knows I have at least one, but she doesn’t know the exact location. The facilities are equipped with generators for power, solar panels, water, and a three-year food supply for two people.” Ben glances not so subtly at Rey’s belly. “I also have medical supplies and medical droids at each bunker.”

“Wow, Ben. This is...” she replies astonished while looking at his hologram map, “...really great actually.” She feels Ben’s delight at her approval. It dawns on Rey that she has been feeling Ben’s emotions. The more time they spend together, the stronger connected by the Force they become. He’s happy that he’s pleased her. That means he can feel her emotions as well. Rey feels relieved and happy that Ben has a good plan. Rey is so used to taking care of herself and not having anyone to help her.

“I’ll always be here to help you now...as long as you’ll have me.” Ben states. Rey blushes, realizing he is responding to her emotions, which he can undeniably feel.

This was a new feeling for Rey...being able to trust someone. _Could she trust Ben? Yes, _she decided. She would trust Ben. 

“Thank you.” she whispers quietly. Rey keeps her eyes on the map, but she knows he can sense the depth of her gratitude. “Which bunker should we choose?”

Ben clears his throat. “I have four locations all varying in size and location. But this one…” Ben pauses to select a location and the map zooms in. Rey doesn’t see anything but stars and space until Ben presses a button unveiling a small planet. “It has an ecosystem similar Naboo, my Grandmother’s home planet. There are plenty of trees and water. Life is abundant, so it’s a very habitable planet.”

Rey leans forward to take a closer look at the planet. Green and blue cover the planet with swirls of white clouds. It’s beautiful. “It looks great, but are their people there?”

“No.” he replies quickly. “I own the planet...under an alias of course. But more importantly, I have a cloaking shield surrounding the entire planet. No one will be able to see it unless they enter the planet’s atmosphere. And this planet is very remote. It’s not near any planets inhabited by humans. Though if someone happens to find it, our bunker is tucked in the trees. It won’t be visible from a bird’s eye view.”

Rey stares at the planet in awe. “Wow, this is impressive. You really put a lot of effort and thought into this bunker. It must have taken you a great deal to do this without anyone finding out.”

Rey sits back and faces Ben to find him studying her. This time he doesn’t break their gaze and allows her to look into his dark brown eyes.

“Yes, it did, but it was worth it.” he replies with a low deep voice. She takes a moment to stare into his dark, bottomless eyes. She can sense that he wants to say more, but he doesn’t seem to have the courage. Using her hand, she carefully reaches up to trace the scar she gave him on his face. She can feel Ben tremble slightly at her touch. Rey faintly smiles and breaks the tension.

“Shall we punch in the coordinates?”


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

The Millennium Falcon exits hyperdrive with an abrupt lurching movement. Rey rushes to the cockpit where Ben is already seated in the driver’s seat. Sitting in the co-pilot seat, she gazes out the window to look for Ben’s planet. There appears to be nothing but space and stars before her, but she knows there’s a cloaking shield hiding the planet. As they pass through the cloaking shield with a hissing noise, suddenly their surroundings change completely. Floating ahead of them is the planet Rey saw on Ben’s map. It looks even more vibrantly beautiful in person.

Ben takes manual control over the falcon and navigates the ship down to the planet. As they enter its atmosphere, he coasts around the planet just below the clouds. There is a sun in the distance shining beams of light over one side of the planet. You can see green forests with blue lakes, ponds and rivers scattered throughout the land. Rey simply stares in awe at the overwhelming beauty of the planet where she will be living. The Falcon begins to dip lower toward the tree line as it cruises around the planet. Just before the sun is fully out of view, Ben dives the ship in the trees. He pulls the ship up right before the Falcon makes contact with the ground. The Falcon hovers over the forest floor as Rey looks at their surroundings. She notices there is a discrete opening that looks like a cave. Been navigates the ship into the cave, which Rey quickly realizes is no cave at all. 

Once inside the cave-like opening, a clear landing pad appears. Ben gently lands the Falcon on the pad, then powers down the millennium falcon.

“We’re home.” Ben simply states.

A rush runs through Rey’s body at the sound of his words. Rey has never truly had a home, except for her make-shift room in the abandoned AT-AT on Jakku. To have a real home was a new feeling for her. To share a home with someone was even more bizarre for her. She has always lived alone. What would it be like to live with someone? _What would it be like to live with Ben? _She would soon find out.

They grab their packs and exit the Falcon. As Rey descends the Falcon’s ramp the remainder of the landing pad comes into view as the sun sets on the horizon. She twists around to look at its size. Once you enter the cave opening, it opens up into a small hangar bay. One could comfortably fit three ships in this small hangar. She’s not expecting something of this size. It makes her wonder what type of bunker awaits her inside. When Ben said “bunker,” clearly he was being very modest.

“This way.” Ben says, interrupting Rey from her inspection of the hangar bay. She follows him to a large, heavily armored door. There is a key pad with a face scanning device. Ben punches in a code, which brings the scanning device alive.

“Ben Solo.” he says in a monotone voice. The door pad beeps and the door clicks. “Add authorization.” He looks to Rey for her to come closer. She steps up to the scanning device and leans forward so it can scan her face. It instructs her to say her name for voice authorization. 

“Rey.” She simply says. The pad beeps in error instructing her to say her first and last name. Rey looks to Ben, not knowing what to do.

“Use ‘Solo.’” He tells her directly. Rey blushes at the thought of using Ben’s last name. She knows it doesn’t mean anything, but she’s never had a last name before. She turns back to the device to say her name.

“Rey Solo,” she says meekly. The device directs her speak louder to which she replies, “Rey Solo” in a firmer voice. The device beeps in acceptance.

Ben holds the door open for her and she walks past him. They enter a small passageway with lockers and storage on the sides. At the end, there’s another secured door. Rey approaches the door and attempts to gain access.

“Rey Solo.” she says boldly. The door beeps and automatically clicks open. Ben opens the door and holds it open for her. She steps into the bunker with Ben close behind her. Walking a few feet inside, she stops to admire the view. Ben called it a bunker, but it was more like modern, lavish home tucked into the forest. There’s a huge open living area with one wall made entirely of glass. The glass wall overlooks the forest and light pours into the home from the natural light. To the left side of the living room is a staircase. The stairs lead up to a hallway with several doors, which can be seen from downstairs. Rey assumes those are the bedrooms. Further into the home, past the living room, Rey assumes is the kitchen.

There is so much light. The living room has modern but comfy looking couches, with a large fluffy area rug. Rey assumes the kitchen will be over the top as well. She can’t believe Ben has managed to create this on his own. Suddenly, Rey feels a little awkward. She inadvertently inserted herself into his life. She knows he asked to come with her, but she wonders how he feels about all these sudden changes. She will be living with him in his home that he created for himself. She’s using his last name. She doesn’t like taking advantage of people or being an inconvenience. She chews her bottom lip as she wonders undecidedly how to broach the subject.

Ben grabs her arm and turns her around to face him. Both of his hands grip her shoulders as he leans down to look her closely in the eyes. “Rey, let’s get this straight. You are not a burden or an inconvenience. I want you here with me.” Ben tells her in a very serious voice. His gaze is unyielding as he urges her to believe him.

“Okay, but this is all very new for both of us. I’m sure it will take some getting used to. I know I already make you uncomfortable sometimes. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable around me.” Rey bites her lip as she waits for his reply.

“Yes, it will take some time to get adjusted. Any feelings I have around you are not your fault. I’m not uncomfortable, I’m just...nervous. You make me nervous because you’re important to me. I always screw everything up. But you and this baby...are too important. I can’t live with myself if I screw things up with you.” Ben pleads with her. Ben’s left hand releases her shoulder and gently cups her cheek instead. His eyes visibly dart to her mouth. His thumb brushes her chin and swipes up to her lip. His thumb pulls her lip to release it from her teeth. Shivers run through Rey and she desperately wants to swipe her tongue out to taste him. She resists the urge.

“You won’t screw it up. I won’t let you.” Rey whispers in reply. “But you need to talk to me. Tell me if something is bothering you, okay?”

“Okay,” he smirks, “as long as you tell me if something is bothering you too.”

“Deal.”

“Let me show you around.” Ben releases her and gives her a brief tour of the home.

Ben takes her to the large master bedroom, which has an amazing ensuite bathroom. It’s well into the evening, so Ben says he will make them a quick dinner downstairs, and leaves Rey to get cleaned up. After Ben leaves, Rey peruses the master bedroom and bathroom. A king-sized bed sits in the center with a fluffy, light grey comforter. Rey’s meager collection of clothes fit into one drawer of the large dresser against the wall. She looks inside the walk-in closet and is surprised to find it stocked. On the left side is clearly Ben’s clothes. His clothes vary in shades of grey, black and tan, but she doesn’t see his First Order uniform so that’s a plus. On the right side of the closet there is a rack full of dresses hanging. They are vibrant in color and style. Toward the end, there is a shelf with a bag. She peeks in the bag to find some more intimate articles of clothing such as nighties, pajamas, and bra and panty sets. She quickly returns the bag and blushes. _Did Ben intend for her to wear these? _She has never seen such extravagant clothing.

She goes to the bathroom to take a shower. The huge tub is very tempting, but she’ll save it for another night. Once again, in the bathroom she finds a drawer full of feminine products including shampoo, deodorant, and razors. _Wow. Ben really thought of everything._ He must have stocked this place last minute when he wanted to include her in his plans. She takes a hot shower, enjoying the luxury of shampoo and soap. After scrubbing her skin thoroughly, she wraps herself in a big, fluffy towel and walks back to the closet. All she has for pajamas is her one tunic for sleeping, and that would bring up a certain memory if she wore that tonight. She finds a comfy, black, cotton pajama set with pants and a long sleeve top. She dresses, towel dries her hair, and slips downstairs to find Ben in the kitchen. He has his back turned to her when she enters the kitchen.

Quietly leaning her back against the kitchen counter, she clears her throat. He turns around surprised to find her standing there. He has a tablet in his hand that he was reading, which he sets down on the kitchen counter. He stills for a moment as he takes her in.

“You look good in black.” he tells her. Ben takes in her relaxed appearance and wet hair. He’s never seen her with her hair completely down before.

“You would say that,” She smirks at him. “It was in the closet. I hope that’s okay.” She bites her lip. _When did she start biting her lip? she wonders. _Ben just brings something out in her. Not to mention she likes his reaction. His eyes snap to her mouth when she bites down on her bottom lip. 

He stares at her mouth as he speaks. “Of course. It’s for you.” He walks slowly toward her as if in a trance.

“And uh,” she looks down bashfully. “The other stuff?”

“The dresses belonged to my grandmother, Queen Amidala. I want you to have them. They were passed down to my Mother, and now to you.” He speaks, standing even closer to her now. “The other stuff I ordered from some boutique in Naboo. I didn’t look at it or pick it out. I just asked them to get you a variety of things.”

She looks up and he is standing right in front of her. As he towers over her, she feels so small without her weapon and cloak for protection. She feels very exposed to him, but she’s not scared. _She’s excited._ Her gaze drifts back to his, as he leans down closer. He can feel her excitement through the Force.

“Can I…” he asks softly with nervous voice, “can I kiss you?” He looks her in the eyes, waiting for her permission. Her heart drops down to her stomach, beating rapidly. _This was really happening._ _He was asking her permission._

Rey nods silently, giving him permission. Frozen to the spot, Ben begins to tremble slightly. He seems unsure or unable to take the next step, almost as if he didn’t expect her to say ‘yes.’ She reaches up with her left hand and runs her fingers through his thick hair. She pulls his head down to her until his lips are a hair’s breadth away from hers. Waiting, she lets him make the final move. With her eyes still open, she dares him to close the gap and kiss her fully. She licks her lips and the effect is immediate. She feels a puff of his breath against her skin. His lips gently brush her with a soft press.

Unexpectedly, the Force bond opens with a roar. All at once, Rey feels his desire and restraint. He wants to ravage her mouth but is trying to take things slow with her. Little does he know he doesn’t need to take it slow. She’s right there with him. She gently bites his bottom lip and sucks it into her mouth. With a deep groan, he pushes forward deepening the kiss. Tilting his head, he slants his mouth over hers. Rey gives herself freely to him, opening her mouth. His tongue pushes insider her mouth without skill, but his eagerness turns Rey on even further. His hands wrap around her back and bring her closer to him. His body trembles around hers. Rey uses her tongue to instruct his and he eventually finds a rhythm. Their mouths push and pull against each other, giving and taking. Rey begins to whimper and moan against his hot, open mouth. Through the Force she can feel his desire build. She knows he can feel hers as well. His large hands knead her back in a possessive but comforting embrace.

Abruptly, he pulls back, drawing in deep breaths. They both breathe raggedly as they stare at each other with mouths open.

“Whoa.” Rey says breathlessly.

“Was that...was that okay? Was that too much?” He asks her, unsure of her response. It seemed Ben had little experience with kissing, but he caught on quickly.

“Are you kidding?” she smiles at him, “Why did you stop?” Ben seems genuinely surprised by her response.

“I just think maybe we should take this slow. I don’t want to mess this up.”

“Ben, you know I’m already pregnant right?” Rey chuckles at him. “But hey, that’s fine. If you want to take things slow, I’m fine with that.”

“Yeah, but we haven’t actually…” Ben hesitates, turning a bright shade of red, “you know.”

Rey considers his response carefully. Ben is nervous about having sex with Rey. He basically crumples into a trembling mess anytime they make physical contact. Through the Force, Rey senses his embarrassment and realizes why. _Ben is a virgin._

“Yeah, of course. There’s no rush.” Rey replies in an attempt to ease his discomfort.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ben brings them a platter of veggies and cheese to the living room coffee table. They lounge on the large, plush couch and snack on the food. Using his holopad, he projects the news on the living room wall. A “breaking news” banner appears on the screen as the video plays.

Apparently, a lot had happened during their long day of travel. The video cuts to footage of First Order wreckage from around the galaxy. _“The First Order rule is officially over. All First Order ships and destroyers were destroyed today in multiple bombings. The Rebel Alliance claims responsibility for the act, with General Leia speaking publicly today.” _The video cuts to Leia standing at a podium giving a speech. “_The Rebel Alliance is responsible for the destruction and collapse of the First Order rule. Today would not have been possible without the aid and assistance of our informant, Kylo Ren. He has been working with the Alliance since the Battle of Crait. His cooperation and assistance has been crucial in the destruction of the First Order. Today’s bombings would not have been possible without his help._” The video then cuts to planets around the galaxy, where people are shouting and cheering with joy. “_Now, the Rebel Alliance will help to elect officials to restore democracy and peace to the galaxy._” The video continues to show more wreckage, including what’s left of the Finalizer. It was almost completely destroyed.

“General Hux was on the Finalizer. That should be the end of him.” Ben tells Rey. They both stare at the video in astonishment.

“She acted so quickly.” Rey tells him, “I didn’t expect her to act so soon.”

“She had to. Every second I was gone would have been more suspicious to General Hux. He would have figured it out eventually, which is why she was smart to act immediately. It was the only way.” He takes a bite of an apple slice and they sit in comfortable silence. Rey wonders if the First Order’s downfall will leave Ben feeling lost. Ben is now staring at the floor deep in thought.

“Are you okay?” she asks him. He looks at her quizzically. “I mean with the First Order being gone. It was your home for so long.”

“I’m fine really. There was no one I cared about there, and they didn’t care about me. To Snoke, I was only a means to an end. The First Order means nothing to me.” His features soften. “I’m just glad it’s over. It’s more like a weight has been lifted. I have more important things to focus on.” He looks at her knowingly. 

Rey smiles at him shyly. She slides down on her side of the large sectional couch to lie down on her back. She gently puts her hands on her belly to feel for the baby. Closing her eyes, she searches using the Force. Quicker this time, she finds the baby’s force presence. He shines brightly inside of her and she smiles. She feels Ben move closer to her. When she opens her eyes and tilts her head, Ben is on the floor on his knees right beside her. He’s looking at Rey in complete fascination.

“Did you feel him?” He asks her excitedly like a child. She smiles at him and nods.

“Yes, I did.”

“Can I? Do you mind?” Ben asks her hopefully.

“Of course. He’s yours too.” Rey takes Ben’s hand and places it gently on her stomach. He lowers himself completely until he’s sitting on the floor. He rests his chin on the edge of the couch near her stomach. Closing his eyes, he feels for the baby. Rey watches Ben’s face to see his reaction. Moments pass before Ben’s face gives a small smile. He takes a deep sigh and relaxes as he exhales. Before today, Rey has never seen Ben smile.

They both rest their hands on her belly in contentment as Rey drifts off to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

The next morning, Rey jolts awake with a gasp. Swiftly sitting up, she looks around to determine where she is. As she glances around the room, her memories come flooding back to her. _Ben._ She’s sitting in the large bed in the master suite. The other side of the bed is still made, which means Ben didn’t stay with her last night. He must have carried her up after she fell asleep. Rey is surprised she didn’t wake up when he carried her. Rey was normally a very light sleeper. You always had to be on your toes in the deserts of Jakku. The pregnancy must be making her sleep deeper.

With a deep stretch, Rey gets up and goes to her dresser drawer. She considers wearing something from the closet but decides against it. Everything in there is so nice and fancy. Today, Rey wanted to explore the home and surrounding land; maybe kill a rabbit or two. She dresses in her typical capris and tunic top before heading downstairs.

She finds Ben at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in one hand and his holopad in the other. He’s deep in concentration and doesn’t sense her presence.

“Anything new?” Rey asks him. Startled, he looks up, but quickly relaxes when he sees her.

“Good morning. No. It’s the same news on repeat. I don’t know if I should be worried or relieved.” he sighs. Rey grabs a granola bar off the kitchen counter and joins Ben at the table.

“I would take it as a good sign for now. No new developments.” She smiles at him as she takes a bite of her granola bar. He glances at her food. 

“Do you want me to cook you something? There’s coffee. I’ve also got powdered eggs. It’s not the same as fresh, but it has protein.”

“Maybe tomorrow. This is fine for now. My stomach isn’t used to big meals yet. I’m also taking my prenatal vitamins.” She takes another bite of her bar and looks out the window. The sun is peeking through the trees. It’s so beautiful outside and Rey can’t wait to get outside to explore. She looks back to Ben and he’s frowning again at the holopad. Rey softly sets her hand on his wrist to get his attention.

“Ben,” she says softly, “don’t stress yourself out over things you can’t control.” He looks to her with worry in his eyes.

“I need to keep you safe. If anything should happen, I need to be ready.”

“Yes, and _we_ will be ready, but that doesn’t mean we need to check the news every two minutes. I know you have alerts set. And this planet is well hidden. There’s no reason you should stress yourself out like this. Try to relax.”

He shuts his holopad and sighs. “You’re right, but I feel like everything is my fault.”

Rey’s hand on his wrist slides down to grasp his hand. “Ben, if you hadn’t come to me, I would have left alone. I would have been pregnant and alone on a random, unknown planet trying to build a shelter to prepare for a baby, which I have no idea how to raise by the way. This is not your fault and I’m grateful you’re here.”

Ben stares down at their interlaced hands and gives her hand a comforting squeeze. “Once again, you’re right. You’re always right.”

“That’s right.” She winks as him when he looks up at her. “And I think we should go on a hike. It’s beautiful outside. I want to see the land and what lives here. Maybe we can catch some dinner. What do you say?”

“Yeah, that sounds like a great idea.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ben dresses in dark grey cargo pants and a long-sleeved athletic shirt. While he’s still in dark clothes, it’s so unusual to see him in anything but his First Order uniform. He catches her staring at him as they exit the bunker on foot.

“What is it?” he asks her.

“I’ve never seen you without your First Order uniform.” She smiles slyly at him and winks. “I can’t wait to see you in pajamas.” Ben’s cheeks turn red. Rey turns around and they head out into the forest. They find an old game trail and hike at a leisurely pace.

They hike for a while in comfortable silence until they are covered in dirt and sweat. The air is cool, but the trail is steep, causing them to break a sweat. The forest is mostly covered in tall pine trees. They find a few clearings where they spot a few deer and rabbits. Rey is excited that there’s a reliable food source on the planet.

“Where did you sleep last night?” Rey finally asks Ben apprehensively. Rey is walking in front while Ben follows closely behind her on the trail.

“In the guest bedroom.” he replies. Rey thought Ben would stay in the master bedroom with her but was surprised when she didn’t find him with her this morning.

“You could have stayed in the bedroom with me you know.” She glances quickly back at him, but his face if focused down on his footing on the trail.

“You were sleeping, and I wanted to give you some space.” he replies nonchalantly.

_Oh...okay. _Rey quirks her brows in confusion as they continue to hike deeper into the forest. Rey thought she had made her intentions clear. _She didn’t need space. _Uncertainty enters her mind as she begins to doubt Ben’s intentions toward her. Ben definitely wants to raise this child with her, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he wants to be with her intimately. Her frown deepens even further. _Does Ben want her? _Insecurity fills the space in her brain.

Then, she remembers the way Ben felt when they kissed yesterday. She could feel what he was feeling. Yes, there was nervousness, but there was also desire...a strong desire. _He wanted her. Rey knew he did._ But Ben was inexperienced and nervous. He was scared he would mess things up. Rey would just have to show him that simply wasn’t possible. 

As they round a corner in the trail, the forest opens up slightly and there is a waterfall. Rey stops to stare in awe. Coming from Jakku, Rey has never seen anything so beautiful. The waterfall is approximately twenty feet high. The water falls into a wide but shallow stream. It’s a gentle stream filled with pebbles at the bottom. The water is clear, and you can see to the bottom.

“Wow. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Rey states in awe.

“Really?” He asks her surprised.

“I’ve heard about waterfalls, but I’ve never seen one for myself.” Rey steps forward and reaches out, stretching her hand underneath the water. The cool water feels amazing. “Do you think it’s safe to drink?”

“Yes, it is. I tested it.”

“Splendid.” Rey turns around to face Ben with a smirk. She drops her walking stick and her hand grabs the hem of her tunic.

“What are you doing?” Ben asks with suspicion.

“What does it look like?” Rey responds. She pulls her tunic over her head and drops it on a nearby rock. “I’m getting in.” She gives him a coy smile. While Rey wore old clothes, she did pick out a cute, pale pink bra and panty set from the closet. Ben stands frozen to the spot, unable to respond. His eyes drop to her chest and he gasps slightly. Rey remembers that Ben has never actually seen her this undressed before. She needs to remedy this right away. She kicks her boots off and shimmies her leggings down, setting then next to her tunic. Now she stands before Ben wearing just a thin bra and panties. Ben doesn’t dare mutter a word, but she can feel his desire roaring to life.

She turns around giving him a view of her rear and starts tip-toeing into the water. She calls over her shoulder to him, “Aren’t you going to join me?” Then, she continues to wade into the water. The stream is shallow, so the water only reaches her shins. But when she dunks her head under the waterfall, she is completely soaked. The water is cool and refreshing. She scrubs her face and body to get all the dirt off. Her hands reach up to let her hair down and scrub it as well. Suddenly, she feels fingers glide along her waist. Goosebumps prickle along her skin at his touch. Ben moves them, so they are partially under the spray of the waterfall. Soon after, firm hands wrap around her waist, pulling her back flush against his naked front. Rey moans at the feel of his body against hers. She arches her back to push her rear into is his erection. His hips then thrust into her, earning him a surprised gasp and moan from Rey.

Ben’s lips are on Rey’s ear. “I do want you...so much. Don’t ever doubt that.” He tells her in a gravelly voice before his mouth connects with the skin right below her ear. His teeth and tongue devour her skin as he works his way slowly down her neck. Rey’s head tilts back on his shoulder and her hips uncontrollably grind back on Ben.

“_Kriff_, Ben.” Rey whines. “You make me feel so good. I want you.”

Ben abruptly turns Rey around to face him. She glances at his body with hooded eyes. He’s standing in only his black, boxer briefs. Muscles ripple down his torso making Rey weak in the knees. Her gaze follows a trial of black hair that leads down below his boxers. She bites her lip hard as she finds his huge erection standing at attention. He groans and pushes Rey several steps back until she is leaning against the rock wall near the waterfall. They can still feel the misty spray of the waterfall, but it’s no longer down pouring on them.

When her back touches the rock, he slams his mouth to hers. His tongue pushes into her mouth to taste her. His taste buds explode, but he wants more. He _needs_ more of her. He pulls back suddenly and drops to his knees in the water. Where he was once hesitant, he now seems to have gotten over his shyness. It seems once you push him past a certain point, he loses all self-control. He doesn’t hesitate to jerk her panties down her legs. He pulls them completely off and tosses them carelessly to the shore. Rey stares speechless at Ben, hardly believing his actions, but loving it nonetheless.

Ben gently nudges her feet further apart, so he can see her further. His chest is heaving with deep breaths as he takes her in. Rey feels the slightest sense of hesitation in him. She opens the Force bond to show him her desire. “_Yes, Ben”_ she tells him. His hand grips under her right knee and pulls it up and over his shoulder. Her pussy opens to him fully. Ben then proceeds to lean down and bury his face in her pussy. With her spread open, his mouth and tongue rub against all of her. She gasps at how surprisingly good it feels. The Force bond is still open, so Ben can sense what she is feeling. He tries long slow strokes and shorter flicks closer to her clit. 

“Kriff, Ben. You feel so good.” Rey whimpers. Ben laves long, wet circles around her center over and over again. Rey starts to rock her hip unconsciously. Through the Force, Ben can tell what drives her closer to the edge. _“You fingers. Use your fingers.” _she tells him through the Force. Ben reaches up and inserts one then two fingers slowly into her channel. He soon discovers that she finds it most pleasurable when he crooks his fingers and rubs against her front wall. “Yes, just like that Ben. Kriff, you eat my pussy so good!” Rey gasps uncontrollably. Ben thrusts his fingers hard and faster in that spot where she likes it. His tongue works frantically over her clit to bring her over the edge. Rey’s hand grabs Ben’s hair and pushes his face harder in between her leg and she grinds herself against him. She thrusts sloppily and her wetness spreads over Ben’s face. She looks down into Ben’s eyes and she’s there. Gasping, her core clenches hard with deep spasms sending her body floating in space. Ben prolongs her orgasm with his tongue and fingers, then slowly brings her back down to Earth. 

When she finally regains her senses, she reaches for Ben. His jaw is slack with her wetness spread over his face. He stares at her like she’s a Goddess. She pulls him to his feet and pulls his face down to hers. Rey pushes her tongue in his mouth to taste him. He tastes like her. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Rey is completely smitten by Ben. No one has ever made her feel this way. Despite his faults, no one has ever treated her with such care.

Rey breaks the kiss as her hands reach for his boxers. He’s unbearably hard, and she wants to bring him the same pleasure he brought her. Unexpectedly, Ben’s hands grab her wrists, halting Rey from reaching him. Her eyes jerk up to his in confusion.

“Ben?” she asks him.

“No, it’s okay.” He stutters.

“But Ben, I can make you feel good too.” She pleads with him.

“I know,” he says bashfully, “Just...not yet.”

“Okay.” she whispers. Rey lowers her hands away from him as he releases her wrists. If Ben wasn’t ready, she didn’t want to push him. He had been so careful with her. She wants to treat him the same. Reaching up on her tip-toes she gives him a chaste kiss on the lips. She gives him a reassuring smile. “Ready to head back?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They walk back home before the sun starts to set. Ben asks Rey about her life growing up on Jakku. She tells him how she survived and mostly funny stories of her run-ins with local traders. She leaves out most of the really bad stuff, but she’s sure that Ben can sense her overwhelming feelings of sadness and hunger when she things back to that time. Rey asks Ben about his time growing up. He tells her about the time he spent on different planets as a child. He doesn’t mention Han and Leia. He focuses on the planets and their cultures. Along the trail, Rey catches a rabbit. Using the Force, Rey easily spears the rabbit with the pointed end of her walking stick. They walk the remainder of the hike in comfortable silence.

They finally reach the mouth of the cave. As Rey hops on several rocks at the cave’s entrance, she loses her footing. Her foot slips and she falls on her side, landing hard on the rocks. She winces as her shoulders and hips make contact with the rocky ground.

“Rey!” Ben rushes to Rey and crouches down beside her. His hands ghost over her body, searching for injuries. “Are you okay?” 

Rey rolls slowly to her back, wincing. She rolls her joints to feel for injuries. “Yeah. I’m a bit sore, but I’m fine.”

“But the baby.” Ben panics. His face is etched with worry. 

“I’m sure the baby is fine, but we can check when we get inside.” Rey tells him. Arms scoop underneath her, and Rey is suddenly lifted in his arms, bridal style. “Ben I can walk just fine.” But Ben isn’t listening. She can feel the worry and stress radiating off him. 

He swiftly carries her inside, only stopping momentarily in the kitchen to put the rabbit on ice and wash his hands. He lifts Rey again and carries her to the medic room. Setting her on the exam table, he turns around to power on the medic droid. It comes to life with beeping and whirring. The droid approaches Rey and starts to check her vitals and perform the necessary tests. Rey watches as Ben paces back and forth in the room. His level of worry, while appreciated, is very unnecessary.

“Ben.” Ben ignores her as he paces deep in thought. “Ben, I’m fine. The baby is fine.”

“But what if it’s not? I should have caught you.” He admonishes himself.

“This is not your fault. There’s no way you could have known I was going to fall.” At that moment, the droid beeps reading her and the baby’s vitals. “And see, the baby is fine. Perfectly healthy.”

Rey jolts up. Grabbing Ben’s arms, she motions for him to sit on the exam table. “Sit” she tells him firmly. Rey presses some buttons on the droid to instruct it to perform tests on Ben. Ben frowns at her with his arms crossed before sitting down. He holds out his arm when the droid instructs him to do so. After a few more tests, the droid beeps, announcing that Ben’s heart rate is elevated, and his blood pressure is high.

“See?” Rey scolds him, “You need to relax. You can’t be on high alert 24/7. And you can’t control everything. It’s not good for you.

“I don’t know how to relax.” Ben admits.

“That’s why you have me.” Rey smirks at him. She steps in between his legs so she can lean in and whisper in his ear. “Shh. No talking. Just relaxing.” She can feel Ben’s mood change immediately. He feels..._excited._

With her tongue, she barely brushes against the shell of his ear, bringing goosebumps on his skin. She sucks his ear lobe in her mouth and bites down gently with her teeth. He gasps in her ear and his hands grab her waist. Rey moves her mouth to his neck to lay wet kisses down his throat. The Force Bond opens and suddenly they can feel each other. “_Rey” _he gasps her name through the Force. No one’s ever done this to Ben before. No wonder he was so tense. Rey needed to remedy that immediately. Her hands grab the hem of his shirt and he lets her swiftly pull it over his head. Her mouth returns to his neck while her hands wrap around him and scratch his back gently. When her mouth gets to his shoulder, she moves to his other side, starting at his ear. Taking her time, she slowly peruses his body. When she reaches his other shoulder, she runs her tongue across his clavicle.

He moans as she uncovers a new part of his body. _“You’re so kriffing sexy Ben. __I want to taste all of you.”_ Rey tells him through the Force as her mouth continues to travel down. She reaches his left nipple takes it into her mouth, circling it with her tongue. Ben gasps, surprised at how sensitive it is. Her hands now rake down his stomach. His abs tremble underneath the scratch of her nails.

Rey distracts Ben by moving her mouth to his right nipple. _“Rey,” _he gasps again. Her mouth kisses down his ribs as she crouches lower. She leaves open, wet kisses along his ribs, while her hands unbutton his pants and slowly pull down his zipper. _“Kriff! Rey, what are you doing to me?”_

Pausing, she looks up at him briefly. “I’m making you feel good, like you did for me at the waterfall.” Ben’s eyes widen at her statement.

_“You...you don’t have to do that if you don’t want to.”_ he tells her wordlessly.

_“I want to. I want to make you feel good. I want to taste you.”_

Ben no longer fights his desire. Rey reaches down and pulls his erection free from his boxers and pants. He’s large and perfectly shaped with a slight bend upward at the tip. At the head of his cock, the tip is leaking pre-cum. Rey licks her lips as she stares at it. Ben shudders in anticipation of what’s to come. Rey leans forward slowly and licks just the tip of his cock, taking the pre-cum into her mouth. Ben moans loudly and more pre-cum leaks out. With the base of his cock firmly in her hand, her tongue circles around his head, getting it wet with her saliva. Rey glances up to see Ben watching her with slitted eyes. His mouth is agape and he’s panting. After her spit is spread on the head of his cock, she tentatively slides her mouth over just the head and sucks. _“Kriff, Rey! That feels amazing.”_ Rey continues to suck the head for a few moments. Then, she starts to take more of him into her mouth. In and out, in and out in a slow motion, taking more of him into her mouth with every stroke.

As Rey feels Ben’s pleasure build through the Force, her pleasure builds as well. Wetness is starting to soak her panties and spread on her inner thighs. She releases him completely with a pop, then takes his entire length back into her mouth with one stroke. She hums in delight as her tongue glides on his cock. She gags when she reaches the base in an attempt to take him all in.

“Fuck, Rey. Do that again.” He tells her, so she does. His hands fly to her hair. He grips her hair but doesn’t force her motions. He groans her name repeatedly through the Force. Rey doesn’t stop but continues to move up and down on his cock. Her mouth gets sloppy as the momentum builds. Rey feels just as good as Ben, since she can feel his pleasure. She can tell he’s close.

_“God, Ben you taste so good. Please. I want you to come in my mouth.” _ she pleads with him. At her words, Ben thrusts his hips three more times and stills. He chokes out a groan as his orgasm overwhelms him. Rey feels his cock twitch in her mouth as a salty liquid shoots down her throat. Rey’s orgasm hits her unexpectedly. She whimpers as she tries to take all of Ben’s cum in her mouth. Her orgasm spurs her to keep sucking him until they are both spent. 

Before Rey can collapse on the floor, she feels hands underneath her arms. Ben lifts her up and pulls her into his lap. She rests her head in the crook of his neck.

“You okay?” Rey asks him shyly without making eye contact.

He grabs her chin and directs her gaze to his. “Are you kidding? Rey, that was amazing. That was…” Ben is at a loss for words. She rests her head lazily back on his shoulder. “...no one has ever taken care of me or cared about me the way that you do.” Ben tells her honestly.

“I know. I feel the same way.” Rey sighs.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Over the next several days, they fall into a comfortable routine. As they spend more time together, they learn more and more about each other. They are surprised to find that they both enjoy the music from a band called the Beatles, which comes from a planet that existed centuries ago. Ben learns that Rey loves spicy foods, while Rey learns that Ben loves reading, running, and sparring. Sparring helps him to let out his frustrations and keeps him in top fighting condition.

After a lot of begging, Ben reluctantly agrees to spar with Rey. His only condition is that they have to use wooden swords instead of real weapons. Ben leads Rey to another room which she hadn’t discovered yet. When they enter the room, Rey discovers a gym with exercise equipment and a sparring ring. On one wall, there is a rack full of sparring equipment.

“How did you manage to build this place without anyone knowing?” Rey asks him.

Ben shrugs his shoulders. “I hired a small construction crew to do all of the work. When they completed the build, I paid them, but wiped their memory of this place or ever meeting me.” He gauges her reaction but finds no disapproval on her face. “It was the only way to ensure this place would remain hidden.”

Rey didn’t like the idea of wiping people’s memory, but she understood that it was sometimes necessary. She knows that Ben has done many things that she would not approve of. Approaching the weapon rack, she picks up a sparring sword. It’s large, but not too heavy that she couldn’t wield it. The ring was a traditional square shape with three ropes surrounding the perimeter acting as a barrier. With her sword in tow, she climbs up into the sparring ring. She turns to face Ben, who is watching her intently. She raises her sword and gives it a few swings. She smiles slyly and crooks her finger at Ben.

“Come on, Ben. It’s been a long time since I’ve sparred with a worthy opponent.” She taunts him.

“Is that so?” He walks to the rack to select a weapon.

“Yeah, Poe and Finn, while they have their own talents, were no match for me.” She laughs. Rey notes that Ben’s back stiffens at the mention of her friends. She sighs. “You know, you’re on their side now. You may not be friends with them, but you don’t have to look at them as enemies anymore.”

Ben turns to face her with his weapon, a large wooden sword, tense in his grasp. “It’s not that. It’s the idea of them being that close to you, potentially harming you, or touching you.” Ben reluctantly tells her. Though he doesn’t say it outright, Rey can sense his jealousy.

“Ben,” she steps closer to him from the confines of the ring, “You should know that no one could ever hold a flame against you.” She towers over Ben from the ring, looking down on him.

He steps closer to the ring below her and places a hand gently around her ankle. Staring at her feet with embarrassment he replies, “I know. I just don’t know why.” He rubs her ankle gently as he exhales. Rey crouches down so she can see him better. Her hand reaches his chin and tilts his face up so their gazes meet.

“Now, get up here and show me what you’ve got Big Ben.” Rey teases Ben trying to change the mood. He quirks an eyebrow at her nickname. Taking the bait, Ben slides between the ropes and into the ring. Rey backs away to the other side of the ring, bouncing lightly back and forth. Ben paces down the ropes and stretches his arms and back in preparation.

Rey gives him a brief moment to stretch, then strikes with her wooden sword. Ben easily blocks her first strike. She jumps away waiting for him to come at her, but he remains on his side of the ring pacing. She knows he’s hesitant to spar with her because of the baby. “Awe, come on Big Ben. You’re not getting soft now are you?” Rey jabs at him.

With a frown, Ben attacks. With delight, Rey blocks his swings. They continue to spar back and forth in the ring. Ben exerts moderate strength in his swings, not wanting to hurt Rey. Her strikes gradually become harder and more aggressive, forcing Ben to fight back harder.

Rey blocks Ben’s downward swing as he leans down closer to her. Rey’s back is against the ropes as she pushes back against Ben’s sword. He leans closer to her ear. “Easy Rey. You’re going to get hurt.” Rey laughs to herself at Ben’s reluctance to fight her. She leans into him and darts her tongue out to lick Ben’s neck. Groaning, his eyes drift close. Rey uses his distraction to push against him with all of her strength. Ben stumbles back in surprise.

Grinning slyly, Rey responds, “I guess I have more than one skill.” She winks at him teasingly. Ben drops his sword and surges upon Rey. Without hesitation Rey complies, dropping her sword as well. He grasps her face in both hands and pulls her face to his. Their lips meet in a rush, tongues dueling for dominance. Ben’s teeth tug and nibble at her lips, causing her to moan.

Ben pulls back, resting his forehead on hers. “Force, how you drive me wild.” Ben gasps.

Rey simply replies. “Same.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After an afternoon of sparring, Rey should be exhausted. Instead, she was wound up with sexual tension. She knew it and so did Ben, but she was willing to wait until Ben was ready. It was exactly one week since they had been on Ben’s planet. They decided to celebrate with a dinner. They both separate to get cleaned up. Rey takes her time to get ready for dinner since Ben offered to cook dinner. After a relaxing bath, Rey peruses the closet of elegant dresses. For some reason, tonight feels special. She picks some pretty, black lace underwear. The dress she chooses doesn’t allow for a bra. The dress was backless with a low V-neck dropping between her breasts. The colorful fabric was flowy and reached down to her feet. With her back, chest and arms being on display, Rey had never felt so exposed. With her limited hair skills, she twirled her hair in a high bun. She dabs on some light perfume as a finishing touch.

Barefoot, she makes her way downstairs to join Ben. She finds Ben in the kitchen preparing dinner. His hair is still wet from a recent shower, and Rey’s mind wanders to thoughts of Ben naked in the shower. Rey feels a yearning in between her legs. Her spike in arousal gets Ben’s attention. His eyes jolt up where he finds her watching him. Forgetting that their thoughts are often connected, Rey’s cheeks redden in embarrassment. Ben stands frozen as he assesses Rey. His eyes slowly drift down her body to her bare feet and back up again until he reaches her eyes.

“Hi.” Rey says bashfully, suddenly feeling like maybe she’s overdressed.

“You look beautiful.” Ben says dumbfounded. Rey beams at his approval.

“Thank you.” Rey replies and steers the conversation away from her. “Do you need any help?”

“Uh,” He swallows nervously, “No. Dinner is almost ready. There’s milk on the table.”

“Okay. Thanks” Rey find a glass of milk waiting for her on the dining room table. She delights in the fact that he already knows her food and drink preferences, though he’s also helping her to branch out and taste new foods. With her glass of milk, she stands at the glass wall to watch the sunset. The sky turns colors of blue, purple, pink and orange.

She’s admiring the view when Ben speaks. “Dinner’s ready.” Rey turns around to find Ben with two plates in his hand. They sit at the dining room table, where Ben sets the plates down.

“Wow, this looks amazing Ben!” Rey exclaims as she picks up her fork to dig in.

“Thank you. You caught it, so I cooked it.” Rey caught a rabbit and picked mushrooms from the forest for him to cook. Ben cooked the rabbit with a mushroom sauce served over rice.” Rey takes a bite and hums in delight.

“So amazing Ben. You have to teach me how to cook. I only know the basics, obviously.” Rey barely stops eating to tell him this, then quickly continues shoveling food into her mouth. Rey realizes Ben is watching her eat with vigor. She finishes chewing and clears her throat. “Sorry, I don’t have very good table manners. I’m still learning that.”

“No, please don’t stop on my account.” Ben admits, “I love watching you eat.”

“Really?” she asks him.

“I love watching you do anything. You do everything with such passion and purpose. You don’t take anything for granted. Not even me.” He confesses to her.

“Well, that’s one way of looking at my enthusiasm for food and lack of table manners.” She smiles bashfully at him. “But I appreciate the comment. Actually, you’re very sweet you know.”

“I am?” He asks, surprised by her comment.

“No one’s really been sweet to me before...not where I come from. But you, not at first obviously,” she rolls her eyes at herself, “but now...Yeah. You’re kind and treat me with respect, like I’m your equal.”

“You are my equal. I hope you know that.”

“I do.” she smiles hopefully at him. They finish the remainder of their dinner in peace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After dinner, Rey and Ben clean up the kitchen and dishes. She begs him to let her do it, but he insists on helping her. They wash dishes together in a peaceful silence, but there’s still a certain tension in the air.

Once the kitchen is clean, they move to the living room. Rey stands at the glass wall again, admiring the night sky. Behind her, Ben pulls up music on his tablet. He connects it with the sound system and the Beatles begin to play on the speakers. Rey turns to him in surprise with a smile on her face.

“How in the Force did you find this?”

“You forget I was once the mighty Supreme Leader. I could get my hands on anything.”

“_Almost anything_.” She smirks at him. He smirks back knowing her meaning. “And now?”

Ben steps closer. “Now there’s only one thing that I want, and I already have it.” He takes her hand in his. “Dance with me?”

Rey stutters, “Uh sure, but be warned, I don’t really know how.”

Ben pulls her in closer as his other hand wraps around her waist. “Well then, let me be your first.” He murmurs in her ear. She blushes at his double meaning and buries her face in the crook of his neck. Taking the lead, Ben gently sways them back and forth to ‘Yesterday’ by the Beatles. On a sigh, Rey relaxes in his arms. She delights in Ben taking the lead.

When the song ends, Rey looks up into his eyes with longing. When Ben doesn’t kiss her, she takes his hand and leads them to the couch. They relax on the couch and spend the rest of their evening talking. Coming from troubled backgrounds, they both have a hard time talking without things turning sad. But Rey yearns to have a normal conversation that isn’t peppered with constant sadness. Rey talks about how she became such a good mechanic by scavenging parts from Imperial ships. Ben tells Rey how Leia taught him how to cook food from her home planet.

They talk for hours until Ben finally lets out a yawn. Rey doesn’t want the night to end, but it’s getting late.

“I guess I better get to bed.” Rey reluctantly says. She leans forward and kisses Ben on the cheek. She glances at his parted lips as she pulls away. “Goodnight, Ben.”

“Goodnight.” Ben tells her while remaining on the couch. He seems like he wants to say something. Rey gives him a moment, but he remains silent and still. With a sigh and a smile at him, she gets up and goes to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

In her bedroom, Rey paces near her bed…_their bed._ She feels conflict. One second she wants to go to him and ask him if he really wants her. Then, the next second she calms and tells herself to give Ben time to come to her. The last thing she wants to do is make Ben uncomfortable or force his hand. _‘What if he doesn’t want you in that way?’ _she asks herself before coming to her senses. _‘No. He’s not ready,’_ she tells herself.

Then she remembers her promise to Ben to tell him if anything is bothering her. With determination on her face, she heads to the bedroom door. When she swiftly opens the door, Ben is standing there. Caught off guard, Rey takes in his appearance. His cheeks are flushed, and his chest is heaving. He nervously gulps before speaking.

“Rey” he murmurs.

“Ben, I was just coming to talk to you.” She opens the door wider to allow him to enter. “Please, come in.”

“Are you sure?” he asks, uncertain as he steps in. Rey closes the door gently behind them.

“Ben, this is your room just as much as it’s mine, if not more. I mean your clothes are in this closet.”

“I built this room for us.” Ben admits as he meanders to the window to look outside.

“That’s something I wanted to talk to you about.” Rey discloses

“It is?” he turns to her, not sure where this conversation is heading.

“Yes. Remember how we promised that we would tell each other if something was bothering us?” Rey asks nervously as she wrings her hands together. He nods silently, and she looks down, avoiding eye contact before she continues. “Well...something _is _bothering me.” She takes a slow, deep breath. “I think you should sleep in this room...with me.”

Ben can hardly believe the words coming from Rey’s mouth. He stares at her speechless and in awe of her bravery. She never ceases to amaze him. She looks back up to see him staring at her with intensity.

Rey adds, “Like you said, you built this room for us. I feel guilty in here alone when you deserve to sleep here too.”

“Is that the only reason why?” he asks her.

“No,” Rey admits bravely with glassy eyes. “I want you to stay with me. I know you want to take things slow. We don’t have to do anything until you’re ready. It’s just...I want to be near you.” Rey looks to him, nervous but hopeful.

“Okay.” he simply states while taking a step closer to her.

“Okay?” she asks with a hopeful smile on her face. “Because I don’t want to pressure you if you’re uncomfortable. I never want to make you feel that way. I just want to be with you. And as for the physical stuff, well, we have the rest of our lives to figure that out.”

Ben takes another step closer to her. “The rest of our lives?” he asks, surprised by her comment. Rey blushes at her confession and backtracks.

“Well....I mean, if you want that. If not then-”

“Do you want that?” he asks her as they are now standing toe to toe. Rey has to look up to make eye contact.

“Want what?” she asks.

“Do you want the rest of our lives?” he asks, sure what her answer will be.

Rey’s eyes darken as their bodies brush. “Of course that’s what I want. Ben, I...I love you.”

Once again, Ben is astonished by her words. He can’t remember the last time someone told him those three words. Her admission spurs him to be brave as well. Only Rey could encourage him to be this brave. With shaky hands, he cups her face. “I love you too, Rey. More than anything.”


	15. Fifteen

Ben’s lips touch to Rey’s in a tender kiss. His hands tilt her face so that he can deepen the kiss. Rey gets the distinct impression that Ben does not intend to stop this time. When she senses Ben’s resolve through the Force, her desire doubles causing her to whimper. Ben tilts his head and captures her bottom lip between his teeth, sucking firmly. Rey reaches up to grasp Ben’s hair with her hands. She tugs him back and gasps for breath.

“Kriff, Ben you drive me crazy with need.” Rey gasps into his mouth.

“You have me Rey...all of me.” he whispers to her.

“Are you sure?” she asks him. Ben pulls back just enough to look into her eyes.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything.” he tells her, “I just don’t want to screw this up.”

“That’s impossible Ben. Being with you...it just feels so right. Like we’re supposed to be together.” Rey lets her right hand drift down to his chest. Her hand slowly drifts down his pecs to his abdominal muscles, making Ben quiver. “Touch me. Please.” Rey whispers to him.

Hands grasping her shoulders, Ben turns her around so that her back faces him. She’s still in her gown from dinner. Her entire back, shoulders, and arms are on display. The dress is held up only by a scrap of gold fabric around her neck. Ben’s hands on her shoulders drift lightly across the tanned skin of her back. Rey can feel Ben’s hands shivering. Fingertips follow the path from her neck down her spine, until he reaches the bottom where her dress begins. Then, his whole hand touches her back and wraps around the side of her waist.

Rey shivers at the feel of his bare hands on her skin. Sliding his hand underneath her dress around to her stomach, he pulls her back against him. On instinct, she immediately arches her back, pressing her bottom into him. She feels his erection and can’t help but grind back against him. Ben groans and presses his hand flat against her stomach, pulling her tighter to him. Rey’s head tilts back against his shoulder, allowing Ben access to her neck. His head dips to her neck where he darts his tongue out to taste her. Flavor explodes on his tongue and he proceeds to devour her neck up and down. His tongue licks eagerly against her neck, while his teeth nibble and pull at her skin. While he concentrates on her neck, his hand on her stomach slides down to the edge of her panties. When she doesn’t protest, he slips his hand underneath the lace. When his fingertips reach her slit, he can feel moisture leaking from the seam. His barest touch makes Rey whimper and push against his hand.

“Kriff, Rey you’re soaking wet.” he growls in her ear. Rey blushes wildly before he adds, “I love that I made you this way. You drive me crazy with need too.” He then pushes his erection into her bottom, causing Rey to groan even louder. His fingers spread her lips and delve into Rey’s center. The Force bond opens as Ben’s fingers roam. He can feel her pleasure when he circles his finger around her clit, stopping periodically to dip down to gather her wetness. He repeats these motions over and over, discovering how to make Rey lose all her inhibitions. She reaches an arm up and wraps her hand around his neck, holding on to him. She uses the leverage to grind her body even harder against Ben. She can feel spikes of Ben’s arousal as her pussy brushes over the head of his erection from behind.

“Ah, Rey.” Ben growls as his cloth-covered erection makes another pass against her entrance. Suddenly, his hand dips lower and two fingers sink into Rey’s core. Rey chokes on her own gasp as his thumb begins swiping against her clit. Rey begins to rock against Ben’s hand eagerly. Ben’s strong arm holds Rey up against him as she rides his hand.

“Ben, Ben,” she whimpers to him repeatedly, “I want you...inside me. Please.” She begs him, but he doesn’t relent.

“First, I want to make you come on my hand. Can you do that for me?” He says against her ear followed by a wet kiss on her neck just below her ear.

“Almost...almost there.” She tells him, her head thrown back against his shoulder as she continues to writhe against his hand. Ben crooks his large fingers insider her, hitting a certain spot that makes Rey whine. He swipes his thumb faster against her clit. “Oh, kriff, Ben!” Rey comes with a high-pitched cry, surprising even herself. Her core clenches tightly around Ben’s fingers as wave after wave of pleasure hits her. Her knees buckle, but Ben holds her up. Ben moans with her, as he can feel her pleasure through the Force.

“That’s it, love. Come on my fingers.” He gasps in her ear. His fingers continue to rock inside of her, making wet squishing noises. He works her down from her orgasm until she collapses with her full weight against him. She pants quietly for a moment as Ben just holds her there. He nuzzles her neck affectionately, which wakes Rey from her dazed state. Ben’s hands slip from her panties as she stands up straight to gather herself. She turns around to face Ben.

“Ben, that was incredible,” she tells him with a lazy smile, her pupils blown wide. She steps closer and grabs his hand covered in her wetness. She brings his fingers to her mouth and without breaking eye contact, sucks each finger into her mouth. Ben’s mouth drops open with a “Hoh” as he watches her clean his hand. Rey smiles at him before she releases his hand to unclasp the strap around her neck. The flowy dress slips to the floor. Pushing it out of the way, she steps out of the dress. Standing before him in just a pair of lacy panties, Ben takes in Rey’s naked form. “Your turn now,” she tells him. A puff of air leaves his mouth before he gulps loudly. 

Ben’s gaze doesn’t drop from Rey’s form as his hands quickly tug at his shirt. He quickly jerks it off, then moves to his pants. His fingers fumble with the buckle, but he eventually is able to remove his shoes, pants, and boxers in a quick fashion. Rey bites her lip hard as she takes in his entire body. Her eyes drift from his broad chest to his hard abs, down to his sizeable erection standing at attention. Surprisingly, she feels another gush of wetness. At that moment, Rey can feel Ben’s deep desire for her through their connection. Ben steps closer and reaches up to cup her breast with his hand. Rey hisses when his thumb brushes against her sensitive nipple. She arches her back to push her breast further in his hand.

“Kriff, Rey. I’ve wanted this for so long. I can’t believe this is really happening.” he tells her.

“Me too Ben,” she whispers to him.

Ben leans down to capture her lips in a kiss while his other hand travels up to capture the other breast. Massaging her breasts, Rey moans under his touch. Ben groans at her response and tugs at her nipples next. He moves his mouth down her neck and chest leaving wet kisses. Gently, he kisses around her breast gradually getting closer to her nipple. “Ben, please.” Rey begs him. Finally, she feels his tongue touch the tip of her nipple. She gasps at the contact and her hands bury into his thick hair. His hands are cupping her breasts while his lips wrap around one nipple. His tongue alternates between sucking and flicking, driving her wild. He switches to the other breast and continues to torment Rey.

Eventually, Rey tugs on his hair, causing him to release her nipple and stand. Rey pulls him down for an eager kiss and thrusts her tongue in his mouth. Overwhelmed by desire, she loses all patience. She wants to get as close to him as she can. Rey swallows his moans as she deepens the kiss. She tugs his hair as their tongues tangle. Without warning, Rey reaches down to take Ben’s cock in her small hand. He jolts in surprise but doesn’t stop her. She feels pre-cum at his tip and uses it to stroke down to the base. On her second stroke down, Ben’s hand grabs her wrist. He breaks the kiss with a pant.

“Rey, love, I don’t want to come like this.” He tells her. His whole body is vibrating with nervousness and excitement.

“Then take me to bed. I’m ready for you.” She tells him. With their bond fully open, they can read each other’s minds. Rey jumps up and wraps her legs around Ben’s waist, her hands going around his neck. His hands automatically catch her thighs and pull her closer. Ben carries her to the bed, but instead of throwing her down with him on top, he sits on the bed with her in his lap straddling him. His hand caresses her body, starting from her thigh, all the way up until he cups her face. They lock eyes in this moment. Their naked bodies are mere inches apart.

“Ben,” she whispers, “Make love to me, please.” She tilts her hips up to drag her wet center over his cock. As she moves back down, his cock moves into position at her entrance. She stops to check on Ben. “Is this okay?”

Hands on her hips, Ben angles his himself and pushes forward. His cock sinks into her tight entrance inch by inch. They both moan in unison at their joining. It’s a tight fit, but her wetness eases the way. When he can’t go any further, Rey lifts up and slides back down again, this time her slick helping him to go further. Rey gasps as his cock bottoms out inside of her. Ben squeezes her hips tightly and begins to gently thrust in and out of her. Rey allows Ben to take control and explore their bodies.

“Fuck Rey. You feel so amazing.” He chokes out as he continues to thrust into her.

Rey can’t hold back any longer and begins rocking her hips in rhythm to his. Every long stroke down ends with a rub on Rey’s clit. Sweat begins to drip down her temple as her pleasure builds. She focuses on Ben to find him staring at her in awe. He’s panting heavily while his gaze alternates between Rey’s eyes and the place where their bodies connect. His abs sheen with sweat and ripple as he thrusts himself in and out of her. She leans down to give him a passionate kiss as she continues to ride his cock. He groans as the pleasure reaches higher. Rey’s wetness is dripping down between them and onto the bed. His hands on her hips begin to pull her harder, setting a faster pace.

“I love you Ben” she tells him. The Force surges between them and their minds are completely open to each other. The Force vibrates around them as they continue their relentless race for ecstasy.

“Kriff Rey. I love you. I’ve loved you since I first laid eyes on you.” He tells her in between pants. Then, Rey’s orgasm takes over her body, making her throw her head back with a cry. Her muscles clamp down around his cock as she is hit with waves of intense joy. Her vision blurs as she rides out this abyss of pleasure. “Oh God, Rey. I can feel you coming on my cock. You’re so tight. I….I….Oh fuck! Of fuck!” He gives one final hard thrust, then stills. Ben growls as his orgasm hits him. Squeezing her tight with his arms wrapped around her body, he pants her name repeatedly. 

They catch their breath together as they sit tangled with each other, their bodies still tense from orgasm. Rey starts to stroke his hair as she slowly stirs back to life. Ben’s breath tickles her neck while his face is buried in her neck. She giggles and squirms in his arms, causing him to slip out of her. She whimpers at the loss of his cock inside of her. He leans back to check on her.

“Are you okay?” he asks with a worried expression.

She cups his face and rubs her thumbs over the frown lines on his forehead. “Okay? I’m more than okay. I just made love to the man I love.” She beams down at him with the biggest smile. “I’m just gonna be a little sore.”

“Here, let me get you something.” Ben tells her then rolls her down onto the bed. He gets up and disappears into the bathroom. Rey scoots up to settle her head onto a pillow and watches Ben’s ass as he walks away. _‘Nice view,’ _she thinks. “I heard that!” Ben calls from the bathroom. Rey barks with laughter, forgetting their Force bond is still connecting them.

He quickly returns with a warm, wet rag in his hand. He joins her on the bed, sitting on his knees near her hips. “May I?” He motions toward her center with the rag. She opens her legs slightly to allow him access. The slightest view of her sex, makes Ben gulp nervously. He’s still intensely affected by her. He gently reaches down and cleans her sex with the warm rag. She whimpers in just the slightest and he freezes, looking up at her.

“It’s fine, I’m fine. I’m just sore. You’re quite big you know?” she tells him.

Ben’s face turns red and he turns his attention back to her sex. “Well I...I-” He’s a bumbling mess.

Rey abruptly leans up and grabs his other hand. She playfully pulls him down beside her. He falls down beside her on his side with a plop. She giggles and turns on her side to face him too. “It’s a good thing Ben.”

He meets her eyes this time. “Really? I was afraid that I hurt you. It’s not always a good thing being so big.”

“Really Ben. You didn’t hurt me at all. And trust me, in this case, being big is a good thing.” She sighs and scoots closer to him. Their hands intertwine together, tucked into his chest. She talks more softly now. “It was amazing. You’re amazing. Did you...like it?” she asks him nervously biting her lip again.

“Rey, it was,” he pauses, searching for the right words, “...indescribable. Better than I ever imagined it, and believe me, I imagined it a lot.” He smirks at her then, kissing her hand in his.

“Really? A lot?” she teases him.

“Of course. Ever since I first saw you. Only with you. I never thought about it much before, but when I saw you for the first time, it triggered a yearning that I’d never felt before. And to actually get to be with you, to lay close to you, to make love to you...this is a dream I don’t deserve.” He tells her solemnly.

“Oh, Ben, please don’t say that. You’re not innocent, but none of us are. We all have blood on our hands. The only thing we can do is make amends with our past and try to be better.” She releases his hand to stroke his cheek. “You do deserve this. You deserve love.”

With a sigh he responds, “Then I will strive every day to deserve you and your love.”

“You already do. I love you. I love you with everything inside of me. That’s not something I give lightly.” She tells him firmly.

“I know. I know I’m not easy to love, but I give my love freely to you...all of it. I love you too Rey.”

She beams at him then. “Good. Because I’m gonna need all the help I can get raising a boy just like you.”

They both smile and for the first time, she hears Ben laugh.


	16. Epilogue

Epilogue

Rey stirs to the feeling of something hard pressed against her bottom. Ben’s arms are wrapped around her from behind, engulfing her entirely as they lay beneath the comforter on their bed. Ben’s hips thrust into her as his lips find her ear. He nibbles on her ear then nuzzles her neck as he continues to lazily push his erection against her. Rey wakes further as she feels a heavy yearning in between her legs. Whether it’s her desire or his, she can’t tell, but it’s there all the same. She pushes her bottom against him, encouraging Ben further.

His hand snakes down beneath her pj shorts to find her already damp. Ben gasps and stutters at her state of arousal. “Kriff, Rey. You’re already wet for me.” Ben sinks two fingers inside of her and rocks his palm against her mound.

Rey groans before speaking. “And you’re already hard for me.” She rocks her hips against his hand lazily. They touch each other like they haven’t done this a hundred times already. Ben promised to never take her for granted and he kept his promise. When she strips, he still stares at her with a dropped jaw and wild eyes. He still quivers and shakes when she sinks down on him, like it’s the first time. Every day, he brings her more pleasure that she didn’t think was possible. Every day, their force bond strengths as they fall even deeper in love. And when they do argue, the Force pulls them back together even tighter, like a rubber band.

“Only you. Only you Rey. Kriff, I need you.” he pants in her ear.

“Yes,” she hisses, giving him permission.

His hands immediately move to her hips and pull her up. They both know they don’t have much time. She positions herself on her hands and knees while Ben crawls behind her. He’s so large, his whole frame can bend over hers with ease. “Hurry,” she whispers, “before the baby wakes.”

She feels Ben shuffling behind her and then, the head of his cock is at her entrance. He pushes in slowly. She’s plenty wet, but there was no foreplay, so she’s not stretched like she usually is. Ben growls as he buries himself to the hilt. “Shh,” she tells him.

Ben pauses and chuckles. “I’ll be the one shushing you soon.” His forehead rests in between her shoulder blades as he quivers. “Kriff, Rey you’re really tight. Will it always be this intense when we make love?” he asks her honestly.

Rey’s skin prickles with awareness as the Force bond flares between them and suddenly, her pleasure intensifies. “I don’t know. I-” she yelps as he pulls back and slams back into her. “I hope so. I think so.”

“I hope so too,” he breaths as his attention turns to his cock driving in and out of her channel now. Rey arches her back and moves against him. She can never just lay idly while he does all the work. “Kriff, Rey, you’re so sexy.” He begins to thrust into her with more force and speed. Rey moves her hands up to hold onto the top of the headboard. Now in a more upward, slightly bent position, one of Ben’s hands grips her hip and the other drifts down to her clit. He reaches down between them to gather the wetness and brings it back up to circle her clit. He pleasure spikes and she starts to moan and whine on every thrust.

“Shh,” Ben pants in her ear, “that’s it baby. Just ride my cock. Are you gonna come for me? Come on. Come for me.” Ben pounds into her harder as Rey pushes back relentlessly. The combined sensations and sound of their skin slapping send Rey into an orgasm. She cries out just as Ben’s hand covers her mouth. She continues to cry as his hand muffles her screams. “That’s it, that’s it Rey. My beautiful Rey.” He continues to praise her as he continues pounding her from behind. A gush of fluid runs down her legs and Ben chokes as his orgasm begins to take hold. His thrusts become more erratic as he holds her tighter to him. “Ah, Rey. You make me come so hard. Kriff, I love you. I love you.” he says right before his stills inside her. Buried deep in her channel, Rey can feel the warmth of his cum inside of her.

Breathing heavily, he presses a kiss to her nape and his hand releases her mouth. His hands caress her back and hips, memorizing every curve and freckle. He groans as he slips out of her and rolls to the bed. Jumping up, Rey quickly makes her way to the bathroom to clean herself up. She knew Han would be up at any moment. After cleaning up and putting on a robe, she makes her way back to the bed and plops down in Ben’s arms. He smiles down at her. Ben smiles a lot now. Rey can’t get used to it. She loves his smile.

She closes her eyes to enjoy the peace and quiet, while Ben fiddles with their intertwined hands. His fingers trace up and down her fingers, tickling her. Rey faintly feels something cold slipping down her finger. When she opens her eyes, on her ring finger there is slim gold band with a single blue sapphire stone. She gasps in surprise and jerks her head to look at Ben. “What’s this?” she can’t hide the surprise and excitement in her voice.

“It was my Mother’s ring.” He intertwines their hands again and kisses her hand. “I thought that with Han being three months old, our Force Bond and...our relationship that we could…” his words drift away as he gathers courage. “I was hoping you could officially take my last name. Will you marry me Rey? I cannot be without you. You are my whole world and my family.”

Tears fall from Rey’s eyes at his declaration. She quickly wipes them away with her other hand. “Yes, Ben. Yes, of course I’ll marry you.” She sits up and leans down to kiss his lips. “But it won’t really count Ben. We have no marriage certificate and no witnesses. But it doesn’t matter to me. I’m just happy you want to.”

“About that.” Ben mumbles. Rey halts and glares at him. He doesn’t meet her gaze, which puts Rey on high alert. He’s up to something.

“What aren’t you telling me?” she asks him.

Ever since they arrived at the bunker, Ben has been extra paranoid about their safety. Rey has asked to reach out to Leia multiple times, but Ben wasn’t sure they would be safe yet. The First Order is officially non-existent, and the Rebel Alliance is deep in the process of electing officials and forming a democracy. Kylo Ren’s status is still undetermined. Some wanted his blood, while others praised him for helping take down the First Order. At this time, there are no charges against Ben and there’s no bounty on him. But many still want to see him dead for his past crimes. Which is why Ben’s last comment throws Rey for a loop.

“Let’s just say I took care of everything. It’s a surprise.” He chances a look at her to see her quirked lips.

“Are you serious?” she asks excitedly.

“Go look in the closet.” he tells her, giving nothing away in his facial expressions.

Rey jumps out of bed and runs to the closet. She disappears into the closet and there is a moment of nervous silence. The silence is broken by Rey’s joyous voice. “Oh my God. It’s beautiful!” She exits the closet carrying a white gown. The gown is long sleeved and covered entirely with ornate white lace. Holding the dress out, she appraises it with awe. “Ben, it’s beautiful. What is happening? You have to tell me.”

“We’re getting married today.” he simply tells her with a slight smile.

“Today?” she looks at him with raised eyebrows.

“In…” he looks at the clock on the nightstand, “three hours.”

“What? Are you serious? What about Han? I need to feed him and get ready.”

Ben climbs out of bed and throws on his pj pants and shirt. “I’m on Han duty. There’s thawed milk in the fridge.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I got this. Besides, I’ll have help arriving soon.”

Rey gasps with a huge grin on her face. “I can’t believe you Ben!”

Ben smirks at her and closes the distance between them. He cups her face gently in his hands. “I’ll do anything for you, Rey. I’ll do everything for you.” He kisses her gently. At that moment, they hear the soft cry of Han down the hall. He pulls back from her and smiles. “That’s my cue.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rey spends the next two and a half hours getting ready. After bathing and drying her hair, she tries her best to style it. She stays in her room, but she can hear movement downstairs. She’s on strict orders to remain in the room until someone comes to get her. Ben does bring her a tray of food to snack on, so she doesn’t starve. The food hardly helps to settle her nerves though. After settling on a simple twist up-do, she puts light makeup on. Lastly she slips on the dress and shoes provided to her. Everything fits like a glove and she can barely believe it’s her she sees in the mirror. Just when she’s almost run out of patience, there’s a gentle knock on the door.

“Yes?” she asks hesitantly.

“Rey, it’s me.” Ben calls from the other side of the door. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, I’m ready.” She looks at the clock and it’s almost noon.

“You still wanna do this?” he asks her.

Rey smiles softly. “Yes, I’m sure.”

“Me too.” There’s a brief pause. “Okay, come out and down the stairs at the strike of noon. I’ll be waiting for you.”

“Okay.” she replies nervously. She hears him pause a minute and then retreat down the stairs.

Watching the minutes on the clock pass, Rey paces back and forth wondering who is waiting downstairs. She wonders who is watching Han and if he’s okay. She looks back and reflects on where her life was at one year ago. She was so lost and alone. Now, she is more full of love than she ever could have imagined.

The clock strikes noon and Rey doesn’t hesitate to open the door. Exiting the room, she looks over the railing and sees her family. Everyone is in the living room, where furniture has been moved to make room. Finn, Poe, and Rose are standing on the left. Leia and Chewie are standing on the right. Chewie is holding Han. Han is playing with Chewie’s fur and squealing in delight. She stills at the sight of Ben. In the middle, Ben is standing with C3PO and BB-8. Ben is wearing a black suit. She’s used to seeing him in black, but not a suit. His hair is combed neatly and his adam’s apple bobs up and down nervously. Her eyes get glassy and she smiles earnestly at him. Slowly making her way down the stairs, she tries not to trip on her long dress. Her friends, whom she hasn’t seen in so long, look at her with smiles and happy faces. She makes eye contact with them and smiles to let them know she’s glad they’re here. When she reaches the first floor, she makes her way beside Ben. He smiles nervously and takes her hands in his. She can’t help but beam back up at him.

“We are gathered here today to join Ben Solo and Rey from Jakku in holy matrimony,” C3PO begins the marriage ceremony. Rey can’t look away from Ben as C3PO continues reading. She repeats after him when it’s her turn to say her vows. Ben does so as well in a quiet voice that only Rey can hear. C3PO’s words fade away as Rey gets lost in Ben’s gaze. He holds her hands firmly, but she can see him shaking slightly.

Finally, Rey hears “you may kiss the bride.” Ben doesn’t hesitate to pull Rey into a tight embrace and slant his mouth across hers. He gives her a passionate kiss but keeps it brief. Around them, they can hear laughter and applause. When Ben releases her, they are surrounded by their friends. Leia is the first to find Rey and embrace her tightly with tears in her eyes.

“Finally!” Leia says comically, and everyone laughs. “I have my own daughter and grandson!” Leia turns to Chewie and grabs Han from him. Bouncing Han in her arms, he giggles and squeezes Leia’s cheeks. 

Chewie comes forward and wraps his furry arms around her. “Chewie, thank you for being here. It’s so good to see you.” Chewie rumbles his reply that he wouldn’t miss it for the world. She looks up at him and he gives her a friendly pat on the head. Rey feels a tap on her shoulder. She turns around to see Finn, Poe, and Rose standing there.

“Guys! You came.” she says nervously. “I’m sorry for how I left things.”

“Leia filled us in on everything. It was quite a shock at first, but, hey, we understand. The Force works in mysterious ways, right?” Poe states.

She smiles brightly at them. “It really does. Thank you for coming.” She hugs them individually. After several rounds of hugs, they pass around Han, getting to know him. Ben stays near Rey but gives her space to mingle. Every time she looks to him, he gives her the warmest smile. When Han is handed to Ben, Han’s eyes light up. Ben focuses completely on Han, giving him all his attention. Ben ‘coos’ at Han as the baby pats Ben’s hair and gives him kisses. Rey’s friends are astonished to see Ben in his current environment. His love for Rey and Han can’t be missed. They’re a long way from friends, but it’s a step in the right direction.

They mingle and eat good food for the rest of the day. Rey is full of joy and couldn’t be happier. When night falls, they say their goodbyes and plan to visit again soon. Tears fall on her cheeks as she watches them leave from her living room window. After putting Han down to sleep, Ben joins her in the living room. He comes behind her and wraps his arms around her. With a deep sigh, she leans back against him. They stand like this for some time just watching the night sky.

“Did you enjoy today?” he asks her softly.

“Wasn’t it obvious?” She turns to face him. “It was perfect. Thank you love.” She rests her head on his chest and closes her eyes.

“Anything for you, Mrs. Solo.” he tells her.

She giggles at his words. “Anything for you, husband.” she replies.

The End


End file.
